Divergent: A Different Story
by byapanofholly
Summary: This is Divergent with the same characters and one new one, Annabelle who is Tris' bestfriend. This story is of their journey together at Dauntless and how they fight for who they really are: Divergent. Sorry chapter 1 is so long, skip to 2 or 3 if it gets boring! Eventual love interest for Belle is Uriah! REVIEW, COMMENT& PLEASE READ(:
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1  
I awake from my dream with a yelp and heavy breathing. It was not so much as a dream rather than a nightmare. It's stayed the same one for three years now and I wonder if it will ever stop. I quickly glance at the clock on the wooden desk across the room that reads 6:30. I shove off my dull colored blankets and drag my feet toward the bathroom across the hall. My bathroom has a mirror, but it is covered up. The Abnegation believe in selflessness, which means we do not, or should not give much care to how we look. That is why my mother does my hair. I've never really done my own hair. I mean, I've practiced when I was alone in my room before, but I've never told anyone - it was selfish of me.

Being Abnegation is harder for me unlike it has been for some of my brothers. 4 of my brothers stayed Abnegation while 3 of my other brothers were transfers. Jayson and Jacob transferred to Amity while Louis transferred to Erudite. He, unlike most Erudite, is tolerable. Alex, Andrew, Blake, and Tyler all stayed Abnegation. I have trouble with being Abnegation. I've never felt selfless enough or felt good enough for my faction. I understand my faction and the reason for everything they do, but I just feel so constrained... I've never felt free.

Quickly, I brush my teeth, wash my face and slip into the shower where I spend as little time as possible. The Abnegation take short showers, not as short as the Amity, but still short - 10 minutes. In that time span, I wash my hair, body, and shave my legs. I've become quite good with showering quickly in my 16 years but I still feel like it's never been fully enough.  
As soon as I'm done, I dry my hair quickly and slip on my dull Abnegation slacks. We do not wear tight close - our clothes, especially women's, are loose fitting. I wear a grey skirt with light maroon embroidery at the bottom and a grey sweater. Spring is coming to a close and summer soon on its tail so the weather is getting better to the point where you can go outside with warm clothes and no jacket.

I walk downstairs and sit down at the breakfast table where my father is reading the daily newspaper and close by my mother is scrambling some eggs. I am now the only one who lives at home. Ever since my favorite brothers transferred, I have never felt so alone. I get along with my brothers who stayed but they are too uptight and are always ready to question my judgement, just like my father. But I do not care what my brothers think, especially Andrew.  
My father gives me a polite smile and greets me with a pleasant, "Goodmorning, Annabelle." I simply smile back and nod. In Abnegation, children do not speak unless spoken to, and asking personal questions is completely unorthodox.

My mother greets me with a peck on the cheek and hands me my breakfast - simple Abnegation food. Our food, like our clothes are dull. Self indulgence is not something Abnegation allows. I begin eating the scrambled eggs and chug down my glass of milk.

"Careful not to drink too fast, Annabelle," my mother chides, "you don't want to get sick on Test Day."

I simply nod in agreement and say "Sorry," in my most apologetic and respectful manner.

I look up to see my father, placid faced while reading the newspaper the Erudite publish every day. My father has brown curly hair and glasses. I look more like my mother with jet black hair and tanner skin. Some of my brothers look exactly like my father - especially Andrew and Tyler. Tyler is just like my father in many ways; he is kind and caring and truly selfless. I do not know how Andrew is the son of my parents. My parents are good. Andrew is not. I begin to think back to what happened three years ago and shudder. Anger builds inside of me.

I push the thought from my head. Allowing the nightmares is one thing, but allowing these thoughts to dominate my mind while I am aware and conscious is too much.

I glance over at the clock which reads 7:10. "I should get going, I bet they'll want everyone as prompt as possible today, especially on a day as special as this," My mother nods in agreement and my father wishes me good-luck as he kisses my cheek. I smile in return and walk over and peck my mother on the cheek. I am just about to walk out the door and down the street to my bus stop as my mother touches my should lightly to stop me. "Annabelle?"  
I spin around to face her. Her voice sounded tight and almost nervous. "Yes, Mom?" "It's just.. I just ..." I suddenly become nervous. My mother has always been very easy to talk to and seeing her stumble for words brings goose-bumps on my skin. "Mom, is everything alright? Are you okay?" She looks me with a kind smile, "The test today, I just wanted to wish you luck is all." I look at her still confused on why she was at a loss for words just to wish me luck but I smile and say, "Thanks, Mom." Just as I am about to turn around my mother blurts out, "Be smart, Annabelle. Do what you feel is truly right and what you want for yourself sometimes. I know that goes against everything I have ever taught you but tonight you decide where you go for the rest of your life. Do what will make you happy, sweetheart. That's the only way one can ever be happy.."

I look at her once again, bewildered. What on earth could have made my mother feel as though she had to say that? Does she know I am not truly happy in Abnegation? Am I thought much an open book? I offer her a quick smile and another peck on the cheek as I walk out the door.

I walk across the street to the Prior Residence, where my friend Beatrice lives. She is probably the closest person I have to a best friend. In Abnegation, we do not gossip or do make-overs - things most girls do in any of the other factions, which makes it hard to us to have friends. Beatrice and I understand each other and have had moments where we understood each other more than anyone else - which is why we are so close.

I knock on the door and soon Mrs. Prior, Beatrice's mother who works along with my mother, comes to answer the door. Her husband is like my father, a council member, and are all good friends.

She offers me a warm smile and says, "Come inside dear, we were just finishing up breakfast." I smile back and nod as I walk through the door. Beatrice's father and brother great me a goodmorning along with a smile. I, of course, do the same. Caleb, Breatrice's brother is of the same grade as us and good looking in a non caring way. His buttons never match with the holes, his hair has a mind of its own, and he always seems to put everyone else up first. He seems to be Abnegation to the core. Beatrice gets up and gives me a smile and hug. "We'd better get going, Caleb. It is Test Day after all." "Caleb shoves the rest of his food into his mouth and waves to his parents as Beatrice kisses them both on the cheek. The Priors are a true Abnegation looking unit.

Caleb is still swinging on his backpack, toast in hand, walking a few steps behind us while Beatrice and I make small talk ahead. I ask her what a normal Abnegation would ask, How are you? How is everything going? Then once the tension is broken, I ask... "Hey Beatrice.. are you nervous?" She looks at me with the same fear that is probably reflecting out of my eyes. "Honestly, yes." I look back to make sure Caleb, the perfect Abnegation boy is not looking. Once I know the coast is clear, I ask quietly, "The test is supposed to tell us what faction we belong in. What if we, or I, or one of us does not get Abnegation?" I think back to what my mother said this morning. She told me to do what made me happy. What if my decision did not make either of my parents happy. Could I really sacrifice my parents happiness for my own? She simply nods, to acknowledge to me she feels the same. Through our years in Abnegation, Beatrice and I have learned to comprehend each others thoughts like no other. Sometimes, I think we understand each other just through looks.

Caleb then catches up with us, and begins making more small talk. We patiently wait at the bus stop making comments about the weather, how busy our parents have been lately, and soon enough the bus comes around the corner and lurches to a stop. We all get on and hold onto the railing instead of taking a seat. Abnegation's fundamentals are a basis of the term selfless. We give up luxuries because we believe it makes us better.

I watch through the window as we pass every stop picking up people from different factions. I think of how my mother acted this morning and what she said. She asked me to do what I thought was truly right? Does she not believe in me? When we arrive at school we allow everyone else off first. There are a few other Abnegation on the bus who let us off before them and of course we nod and smile politely back as a sign of thanks. Together, Beatrice, Caleb and I along with a few of our other neighbors like Susan and Robert Wakehart walk into school. We separate to go to our different classes - for me Geometry Honors. I've always been good at understanding skills faster than most and learning has always interested me. Sometimes I visit my brother, Louis, who transferred to Erudite. He shows me cool gadgets he's developed and different solvents they are coming up with. I know my brother would gladly take me in if I ever transferred to Erudite.

My only problem with the Erudite is that they are exact opposite to selfless. I could not go against all of what my faction has taught me so far. Doing so would break what I believe in. Also, in recent times, Erudite have begun posting propaganda about Abnegation in their newspapers. I'm not sure what for, but it accuses us of withholding goods, and different possessions of luxurious taste. It's almost ludacris.

I watch through the window I always watch every morning to see the Dauntless arrive. I know Beatrice does this too and I know how she feels the same about Dauntless; which is the same as me. I actually like the Dauntless. Their freedom and happiness comes from the same anger that boils within me. I actually am a happy, caring person, but after what happened three years ago, I found out that there is a much colder, darker side of me that sometimes scare me.

Soon, I hear the train and see just in time to watch as the Dauntless leap gracefully out. I wonder how hard it is to jump out of a train. But I guess I'll never get the chance to know.

I hear the first bell of my Upper Levels school chime and begin to make my way to my first class. I walk near the hallway's walls, attempting to stay out of anyone's way. Up ahead I see a group of Candor push an Abnegation boy with curly, brown hair down while one yells, "Out of my way, Stiff!". I realize the Abnegation boy is Robert, my friend and neighbor and rush to help him. I do not get bullied at school like most do. Abnegation get bullied the most because other factions claim we are "passive aggressive". "Stiff" is slang for Abnegation. It doesn't bother me much, but I do feel bad for people like Robert, who is halfway up off the floor when I reach him. I help him up the best I can and ask, "You okay?" Robert sighs and nods lightly, probably ashamed to be assisted by a girl. I back away a foot and give him space.

"Yeah I'm fine. Gosh, what did I ever do to them?" Robert shakes his head, as if disappointed.

"You did nothing. It's just a bunch of Candor smart mouths thinking they can say whatever because it makes them more true to their faction. Don't take it too hard." I smile lightly to reassure him. Robert smiles back at me while he smooths down his brown curls.

"Sometimes I wish everyone would just be like Amity - happy and light," Robert says. I look at him shocked. I've never heard anyone besides Beatrice say anything to make me feel that anyone in our faction could wish to be in another. Maybe transferring wouldn't be as shamed upon as I thought it would...

I am still in the midst of thought as Robert clears his throat, as if to signal me back to reality and waves saying, "I'll catch you around Annabelle." I nod back and walk to class.

The next two hours of class are normal and boring. Math goes by smoothly and so does choir. Even though I am in Abnegation, my parents allow me to take singing lessons. They say they only allow me because my voice is so sweet, it brings pleasure to others, which is selfless of me. I truly enjoy singing, which I do not share with anyone besides Beatrice, since I am afraid people may think I am being selfish. Soon it is time for the meeting in the lunchroom. All classes the rest of the day have been canceled for the Test. I walk over to the Abnegation table where I sit next to Beatrice, Caleb, Robert, and Susan. Abnegation, who usually volunteer to go last for everything are going first today. I do not know what to expect. No one does, actually. We arn't allowed to discuss the Test with anyone to tell anyone our results.

First, the Principal, Mr. Bane yells for us to quiet down. It takes a few minutes for Candor and especially Dauntless to stop but they quiet down eventually.  
"Today is Test Day when the Aptitude Tests are administered. These tests are designed to tell you which faction you belong in. Do not be afraid, as there is nothing to fear. You will leave school today knowing what faction you belong in. Tomorrow, at the Hub at 10:00 sharp, is Choosing Day. Tomorrow, you will choose the faction you want to be with for the rest of your life. You will have a lot to think about tonight. Good Luck." Good luck? Why do people wish us luck for something that luck has nothing to do with?

Soon they begin calling off Abnegation kids in alphabetical order from last names. I will go before Caleb, Beatrice, Robert, and Susan. When it's time for the H's, I am called. "Hightower, Annabelle." Everyone at the table nods to me and Beatrice squeezes my hand lightly and gives me a reassuring smile. I smile back and walk across the lunch room to the person who called my name. As I walk, I notice I catch a few smiles, looks and stares from guys in the room. I hear one guy say, "For a Stiff, she sure ain't bad lookin'." His friend replies with a nod and attempts to catch my gaze with a smile. I blush immediately and lower me head in attempt not to draw anymore attention. I feel like the worst Abnegation out there.

I nod at the woman who called my name. She is dressed in all black and has tattoos. The woman is Dauntless, I think to myself.

"Hello, my name is Tori and I will be administering your Aptitude Test today." She smiles politely and beckons for me to follow her. I walk a step behind until she stops outside a door and gestures for me to go in. When I enter, I see a chair tilted back and multiple different machines hooked up to moniters. I figure Tori, the woman, sees my apprehension and says, "Go on. Sit in the chair. There isn't anything to be afraid of." I nod and sit in the chair, still unsure. Tori pulls out a needle and begins to explain how everything works. "This needle contains simulation serum. The simulation serum is the same for everyone but changes depending on your choices and outcomes. Once injected, there is a sixty-second grace period until the serum takes effect. I will be able to see what happens in your simulation because I will be hooked up to wires which will allow me to see the image of what is going on in your head through electrical wave lengths transmitted here," she says as she points at a large moniter. I nod and Tori takes my left arm and injects the serum just in the hallow of my elbow. I already feel tired once the serum is injected. Before everything becomes dark, I faintly here Tori say, "Be brave, Stiff."

I awake on the floor of the lunch room except now, all the chairs and tables are gone besides one. I hear a feminine voice say, "Please make your way to the table". I get up and dust my skirt off even though I have most likely not accumulated any dust. I walk carefully to the table. The voice comes back. "Please pick an item of choice." I scan the table. On the table there are three baskets: one contains a knife, one contains a piece of bread, and another contains a long piece of rope. I begin to wonder why on earth I would need any of these items. Maybe the voice has an answer for me. "Why should I take anything? What will happen?" The voice comes back and answers in a cool, mild tone. "Please pick an item. It may or may not be useful to you in what you will go through soon." I begin to panic. What I will go through? What will happen to me?

"Why," I ask again. The voice comes back, this time more annoyed if anything. "Please pick and item, child. You have thirty seconds." I panic. What should I pick? A knife could defend me. However bread could sustain me. But what if I need rope? A cluster of thoughts accumulate my mind all at once. I have always been indecisive. I decide to take nothing.  
"I don't want anything." I say out loud to the voice. The voice replies, sounding shocked but still maintains it's composure.  
"Very well then."

As soon as the voice is finished, I hear a growl behind me and spin around to meet it. As soon as I turn, I understand the knife offered in one of the baskets. Roughly ten feet away from where I stand is a short, stout, angry looking dog barring its teeth at me. I stare right at it, afraid to move. I read in a book somewhere that looking away from a dog shows submission, and the best way to survive a raging animal is head on. I stare back at the dog, placid faced like my father when he reads the newspaper. The dog continues growling as I stare. A minute, maybe a decade passes by and still the dog is growling at me. I am just about to give up and run when the dog's whole demeanor changes. Its tongue flops out of its mouth and its tail waves jubilantly back and fourth. It joyfully marches over to my feet and begins to sniff me. I kneel down and pet the dog. It appears to like me and I now long for the bread instead of the knife, which I could have given to the dog.

Out of no where, a young little toddler appears and loudly says, "Oh, puppy!" The demeanor of the dog changes once again to the raging monster. The dog begins to growl and leaps at the young child. "No!" I scream and leap at the dog. If I can get to the dog in time, I can save the little girl.

I sprint at the dog and throw myself onto it. I punch the dog and it winces. I feel a pang of guilt in my stomach for hitting the little beast. I reason with myself to let it go; I am saving the little girl. Just as I am about to hit the dog once more, it disappears along with the little girl. I get up and dust myself off while I heavily pant. Suddenly I remember I am in a simulation. None of that was real. I should really calm down. I am just about done dusting myself off when the entire scene shifts.

I am no longer in my school's cafeteria. The scene shifts to a simple Abnegation breakfast table. I sit across from a Candor man dressed in normal Candor clothes: black pants and white shirt. I feel as though I know him, but cannot be quite sure. He stares at me wild eyed. I begin to panic. That was the same look in Jackson's eyes three years ago when Andrew was hung over on the couch unaware of what was happening just 5 feet away. What does he want from me? He holds a picture in between his hands. He stares at it, wild eyes still locked on it. I clear my throat and he looks up, same crazy eyes, as if noticing me for the first time.

"Do you know this person?" He asks me. His tone is urgent. I look at the picture. The woman seems fairly recognizable, but I cannot recall how I know her. "Please!", the man shouts. "Please tell me where she is! I know you have seen her! Tell me!" He sounds urgent but at the same time mad. What if this man will hurt me if I know her? Do I tell him the truth? I know my father would say that it would be best to stay out of this mans business and keep myself safe.

Suddenly, I remember the time Louis and I were walking past a few Candor. I remember him telling me how Candor could tell when people were lying. He said they teach the Candor initiates how to detect lies by body language and eye contact. "The best way to lie is to look people straight in the eye. Avoid fidgety movements and be as clear as you can." I remember his Erudite-ness showing through on his face as he explained even more in depth. At the time, I had just enjoyed watched my brother be so excited over reciting a book to me about lying. I never knew it would come to me as a key to unlock a door to stay safe.

I look the man straight in the eye. "I have never seen her, sorry.", I say as clear as I can. The man stands up and begins yelling. I begin to fear I have chosen the wrong path by lying until suddenly the simulation changes again and I am now sitting in a velvet chair. Across from me now is Tori who is taking off the wires and inputting information into a computer. She looks around and says, "Welcome back, Annabelle."

"How long was I out", I ask still nervous from my last chat with the Candor man. Tori replies with strain in her voice. "Five minutes; nothing to worry about." I stare at my hands. My knuckles are white from clenching my fists. I slowly release them and quietly ask, "Well... What was my result?" Tori pulls up a chair close to me and looks at me still tense. I begin to worry. "Well... your results were inconclusive. Normally, people get one faction in the end, but you got three."

"What do you mean?" I ask. What if I don't belong in one faction? Am I now like the factionless? Worry takes over my whole body and I think Tori can see it because she begins to explain.

"Your test ruled back that you had an equal aptitude for Erudite, Abnegation and Dauntless. Dauntless and Abnegation were ruled in when you saved the toddler from the dog. Erudite was ruled in when you did not become submissive to the dog. By not choosing bread, Amity was ruled out. You still had Candor, so I changed the course of the simulation to see if you would lie, which you did, which ruled in out Candor. It is very unlikely for one to have an aptitude for two factions, let alone three..." Tori then walks to the door and locks it. She sits back down on her chair but this time, she sits closer and she seems more tense.

"They call it Divergence. People who can belong in more than one place. People fear it because Divergent minds cannot be controlled to one thing, in this case a faction. Do not, I repeat, Do NOT tell anyone you are Divergent. I will manually put in Abnegation for your simulation result. I'll write you a pass for sickness so you can go home." I think she can tell I have more questions by the look on my face but her only response is, "Go home. You have a lot to think about."

I have so many questions waiting for this woman. Why is she helping me? Is she also Divergent? What am I? Suddenly, I feel too sick to care. I thank her and silently walk out even though I have so many more questions. I walk out of the room and into the lunch room and hand a teacher my excuse note. Again I still feel stares on me and lower my head. One Dauntless boy, who I may mention is very cute, who tried winking at me last time while I pretended not to notice, tries again. This time, I think of what my mother said this morning. She told me to do what I thought was right and what I wanted for a change. What if I do want guys to notice me. I look at him slightly and let him see me blush and smile. He smiles back, happy that I caught his gaze and didn't turn him down. I see some of his friends slap him on the back, as if encouraging him on. The teacher, whom I gave the note to, dismisses me and tells me to feel better soon. I walk past the table of Dauntless with the boy who winked at me. He stands up and walks towards me. "Hey, I've never seen a Stiff who actually showed interest in a guy before," he says. Suddenly I become aware that all his friends are watching, waiting for my response. I know I cannot sound too Abnegation and at the same time cannot sound too interested. I catch Beatrice's eyes focused on me. She smiles at me and nods encouragingly, as if to continue my conversation with this random Dauntless boy. She knows I've always loved the Dauntless and now's my chance to show them that I am not just some coward Abnegation.

"Well obviously you haven't met us all." I say, clear but still friendly. The boy smiles widely, probably happy that I didn't walk away like a normal Abnegation girl would if she was challenged. At the same time, I see kind eyes that look back at me. He seems genuine. "Well maybe I should get to know some better. My names Uriah; whats your name?" I smile but say teasingly, "Well now that's for me to know and for you to find out." A wide grin comes across his face and he says, "Maybe you'll give me the chance, I hope." I smile and wink at him, the way he had done to me. All of his Dauntless friends start to say, "Oooh Uriah!" He begins to then hit all of them on the head and waves goodbye to me. I just smile at him and walk out the door, proud that I actually did, as my mother told me to. I walk home in smiles, thinking about the cute, tall Dauntless boy who winked at me and if I will ever see him again


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2  
All I want to do is go home and sleep. The simulation wore me down to the core. I wonder what faction or factions Beatrice got. Maybe she is like me; Divergent. Just thinking the name sounds too dangerous. Tori made it sound like it really was dangerous. I wonder how she knows about the Divergent. Is she one? Did she know someone? I will have to find her one day and ask.  
I walk on a newly settled sidewalk down past the Hub where tomorrow, I will make my choice of what faction I will choose. I could stay in Abnegation, be able to see my parents whenever I please, be selfless, probably settle down and live a safe life. But is safe fun?

I know I don't want to leave Beatrice. I will take into consideration her aptitude test result as well. I could never easily leave my best friend for 16 years.

I wish there was someone to talk to about this, but the decision is all my own. I know I rule out Candor and Amity because I lie and living carelessly to me is stupidity at its finest. Abnegation has only one flaw; Andrew lives here and so does Jackson. They don't stay as often as they used to when they visit, but I still cannot look at either without hatred.  
There always is Erudite with Louis, but most Erudite trade knowledge for emotion. Emotion to them is irrational.

And then there is Dauntless. I do have the will to at least try to survive initiation. I know I could probably muster up some anger deep within me to fight, but would my parents hate me for transferring? Or even having these thoughts?

I soon make it to the Abnegation section of the city. I walk with heavy feet into my home and notice how many people are actually there for the first time. All of my brothers are home. Even my transfer brothers.  
Jacob and Jayson sit on the floor laughing at a joke I only heard the punchline to. They wear bright red and yellow accompanied by smiles. Louis is in a blue shirt and blue jeans. His glasses are perched on top of his head and he too is smiling. Tyler and Blake are in the kitchen helping my mother cook. Alex is near my father discussing some article in the newspaper. Andrew, unfortunately is the first to see me.

I look at him the way I would at trash. He has become accustomed with how I look at him and does not protest.

Soon Jayson see's me and engulfs me into his giant bear hugs. Soon Jacob, Tyler, Blake, and Alex all embrace me and kiss my cheek or forehead. They all love me and I love them too.

Jayson and Jacob are twins who are 21 now. Soon follows Alex at 20, Tyler at 19, Louis at 18, and with Blake and Tyler at 17, though they are months apart. Andrew is 22.

My mother soon comes and also embraces me while my father comes and kisses me on the forehead.

"Arn't you home early, sweetheart?" my mother asks me sounding concerned.

"The serum for the Test made me sick, so the woman sent me home," I say politely. I probably look sick from being so tired because my entire family buys the story. Can I tell any of them that I am Divergent? Are any of them? Will they hate me for what I am? Then again, I don't even know what it is I am.

I am still lost in thought when the doorbell rings. Tyler goes to open the door. When I see who it is, I literally can feel my heart sink into my toes, tempting to sink into the floor.  
It is Jackson.

Jackson and Andrew are in the same house with me. This cannot happen again.

I excuse myself quickly while everyone is greeting Jackson. Jackson looks at me and smiles crookedly. I take a chance and glance at Andrew who looks at me and looks back down. At first I think he feels ashamed for what he did three years ago but then I recall what he said to me.  
"Annabelle, let it go. Pretend nothing ever happened."  
"But Andrew, how could you just let him do that to me! You're supposed to stick up for me but instead you encouraged him and he took away my innocence!"

Then Andrew through a lamp.

I quickly walk upstairs into my room, anger building inside me as I take every step. I step into my room and quickly close the door and set down my backpack. I look through my window which faces the Abnegation street outside and also Beatrice's window. Sometimes we talk on the phone and just sit at our windows so we can see each other. Beatrice is the only one who will understand how I feel right now. I pick up the phone in my room and dial swiftly. Her number is muscle memory to me.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the line asks.  
"Hi! This is Annabelle, is Beatrice home? I was hoping to speak with her for a little."  
"Oh hello, Annabelle. Yes just give me a moment," says Beatrice's mother.  
In a few moments I hear my best friends comforting voice and I also see her come to her window. She looks strained.

"Hey Bells," Beatrice says to me, sounding as strained as she looked, "is something wrong?" I sigh. "All my brothers are home. Even Jackson is here." I immediately see her whole demeanor change. First she looks horrified. Then she looks angrier than anything. "My mother said your family invited us for dinner. I'm coming over right now instead. Be there in five."

In less that five minutes, I hear the doorbell. I swiftly walk downstairs to meet Beatrice, her brother, mother, and father. I great them all with a smile and Beatrice with a hug. She quickly mutters in my ear, "Sorry, they all said they would rather come now and spend time with you all." "No worries," I say back with a smile, "just glad you're here."

"Always," Beatrice smiles back. She then glares at Andrew.  
My mother and Mrs. Prior go into the kitchen to begin dinner. Mr. Prior and my father start discussing matters along with Alex, Tyler, and Andrew. The rest of my brothers sit politely on the couches and make talk about whose been doing what. Beatrice takes my hand and guides me to my room and shuts the door.

"I'm so sorry," she says to me, "If this weren't Abnegation, I could have punched them for you." I just nod. "Thanks, but trust me, I probably would have first."

Beatrice bites her lip. "I have to talk to you." I look up at her. She sounds very serious and nervous. "Go ahead."

"My test results... there was something wrong with them..." her gaze is cast down to her feet. My heart rate speeds up. I hope she says she is Divergent so I will not have to endure this fight alone. But then I question myself. Would I really wish that upon my only friend?

I look up her once more from where I sit. "There was something wrong with mine too. I, um... I got three results." Beatrice looks up at me shocked. She then sits next to me on my bed and looks me straight in the eyes. "Are you... er.. are you also..." she begins to stumble for words. Something registers in my mind. She said also. Suddenly I blurt out, "Divergent..."

It is more of a statement question than a thought. Beatrice gives out a sigh of relief. "The woman who did your Test did mine too. She told me my results were inconclusive and began muttering about what I was too fast for me to keep up." I nod because I understand. It's what happened to me.

"I got Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless," I say. Once again she gives out a sigh of relief. "You know Bells, I'm beginning to think we are long lost sisters because of how alike we are." I let out a little laugh-sigh in relief that I will not have to do this alone. Beatrice and I have always had the same train of thought. I guess the train tracks root down to the core, even into what faction, or in this case factions, we belong in. "What are we going to do, Tris? I mean, I could imagine staying in Abnegation but I don't think I'd ever be truly happy."

Beatrice nods in understanding at me. She never looks at me like a kicked puppy. I imagine that if I told someone what really did happen, they would look at me like that, but Beatrice has never looked at me that way. I asked her once about it and she said, "You are the strongest person I know. What happened to you - that was wrong, but to look at someone like a kicked puppy, they actually have to be weak, and you're just not."

"We could transfer to Erudite," she says. "We've always been smart and learned quickly. The only thing is, is that we'd be robots."

I let out a laugh and she does too. It's easy to talk to Beatrice.  
"There's always Dauntless," she says. The word hangs in the air.  
"Do you think we would survive initiation?" I ask. I know I could muster up some anger inside me to pull through, but could Beatrice? She's always been strong and brave, but I don't know if she would do it.

"Bells, if it will get you away from Jackson and Andrew, I would do it. I will and would do it a thousand times for you. We're always in this together, down to the last pin drop. And plus, we've both liked Dauntless anyways, right? And they could teach us to fight and defend ourselves."  
She makes a good point. I chime in, "Plus Dauntless guys are hot." She grins widely at me.

The grin fades as quickly as it came. Her voice drops low. "What are we, Bells? What does it mean... to be... Di-" she gets cut off right before she can finish by a knock on the door.  
"Annabelle, Beatrice, it's time for dinner," my mother says from the other side of my door.

Soon enough, everyone is settled into their seats for dinner. My father sits at the head of the table along with my mother on his left, Mr. Prior on his right. Next to Mr. Prior is his wife, Beatrice on her left, and Caleb. Next to Caleb is Louis, who sits next to Blake. I sit on the right of my mother next to Jacob, who sits on the left of Jayson, then Jackson, followed by Andrew, and last but not least Tyler. The grown ups, all but Beatrice, Caleb and I, make conversation. Louis makes funny faces and wiggles his eyebrows at me and Jacob pokes me side occasionally to make me laugh.

Jacob leans in near me and asks, "So have you made a decision yet, Bells?" I swallow my piece of bread and sip a glass of water.

"Maybe. There's still a lot to think about." He nods. Jacob, Louis, and Jayson know exactly how I feel. They were me years ago. He leans in closer and says so quietly so that only I can hear, "They'll still love you no matter what faction you choose. Heck, Louis chose Erudite and he's here eating dinner. But, then again, Dad's a council member and can make things happen. But, no matter what, we'll love you." I smile at him. Maybe he'll still love me, maybe Mom will still love me, but could my father love me after I betray his faction? Would Tyler, Alex, and Blake forgive me? My father has been always kind and caring, but he's so Abnegation to the core, I don't think he would be happy to have his last child be a transfer. How could I leave them?  
My father then starts talking to Mr. Prior about Mr. Eaton. Marcus Eaton is a fellow colleague and council member along with my father and Mr. Prior. He had a son who transferred. His name was Tobias, but he didn't associate with many people. I feel like there is more to his story than I've heard.

Soon dinner comes to an end, and my father says to me, "Annabelle, I believe we should let you go to your room. Tomorrow is a big day for you, and you will need to get some rest." I nod, "Just let me help finish cleaning up," I say in the hopes of not feeling guilty for the choice I have made with Beatrice to go to Dauntless.

I offer to clean the dishes while everyone is in the living room chatting quietly. Beatrice and Caleb left to go home, but their parents are still here. I create a process of washing, drying, and hanging for the plates, like a procession line. I hear footsteps and I think it's Tyler coming to help me clean the plates like we used to before he moved out but it's not. It's Jackson.  
My heart drops to my stomach. I am alone, in a kitchen with the person I hate the most in the world.

He drops his cup into the sink and smirks at me. "You know Annabelle, I can't wait until your a faction member. Then I can have access to you full time."  
I swallow back bile in my throat. Images flash in my mind. Me backing up into the wall, "Jackson, stop. Get away from me. Andrew tell him to stop, please." I'm pleading. Jackson touches my shoulder and pulls my shirt to the side and rubs his hand against my bare skin. "Andrew, can't hear you right now. He's drunk." Reflexively, Andrew makes an intoxicated comment, and passes out. "Jackson get away from me," I say, tears welling up in my eyes. Jackson throws himself against me slamming me between the wall and him. "You will do what I say!" he yells at me.

Rape. He raped me. And now he's standing here, three years later, with no one but my eldest brother as a witness. The worst part is, he wasn't even drunk. I didn't find out until the next morning when Andrew came up to me and said, "You tell no one about last night. If you even think about it, you'll regret it." I ran into my room and cried more than I ever had in my entire life.

I shiver. Thinking about that night just gives me chills and I feel like I might scream.

"Get away from me," I say. He looks at me, then stalks towards me. "I'd watch your tone with me. You know what I can do to you."  
I hold my tongue. I do know what he can do to me. After than night, he never forced me into sex but did kiss me out of force and touched me. I hate him. I hate him to the pits of hell and back. I push past him and quickly but silently run to my room and shut the door. I have to get out of here. Even if it means I have to leave my family. Even if it means I let my parents down. Even if it means they won't love me. Jacob will love me still. So will Louis and Jayson. I can count on them. I can count on Beatrice. We are going to a new faction together. For the the first time, I am actually happy that Jackson talked to me. He reminded me how much anger I have built inside me.  
I dial Beatrice's phone number. In three rings, she picks up and comes to her window.

"I'm in for sure. I can't stay here with Jackson and Andrew having access to find me whenever. Dauntless it is."  
She grins widely at me. "Together," she says.  
"Together," I repeat, "goodnight, Beatrice. And thank you, for doing this with me."

"We will do everything together, Annabelle. Always. And maybe, you'll see that cute Dauntless boy you were talking to." she says. I see her wink and grin back. With that, she hangs up. I close my curtains and sit on my bed.  
I will not give Jackson the satisfaction of being able to 'have me' whenever he pleases. Dauntless will teach me how to fight. And when I can fight, I will find him. I'll show him who he messed with. I will no longer be the coward, little, Abnegation girl everyone knew.  
I will be brave.

I will be Dauntless.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I am sitting in my chair near my desk in my room. This morning, my mother cut my hair and it now rests in its normal spot in a bun that is severely pinned to my head. That whole time, I felt so guilty that I knew I was leaving her soon. What would she think of me when I left her? Would she still love me? She was the one in the first place who told me that I should do what made me happy. If only I could tell her what happened to me. But, what would my father think of me? My Abnegation brothers?  
I shouldn't care, I will be Dauntless soon.  
The Dauntless do not care anyway.

I walk downstairs and sit at the breakfast table and eat my last Abnegation meal.  
My family chatters around me and I just sit there avoiding attention.

"Big day, huh Annabelle?" Jacob asks me with a big smile.  
I guess I zoned out because Jacob snaps his fingers in front of my face.  
"Yeah, I guess huh?" Jacob must sense my fear because he leans in and whispers, "We will love you, you know? No matter what you choose."

Maybe he will, but will my father? Will my Abnegation brothers? Will my mother forgive me?

I simply nod and fake a smile.

PAGE BREAK

I sit in a large room with many other kids my age in the Hub. My father, Mr. Prior, and Mr. Eaton are up on stage preparing for the speech they give to us before calling our names to come pick the faction we want to be with for the rest of our lives. I wish it was another factions turn to do this. Any other faction. I do not want my father up there when I betray him.

Once all the faction families, who have children whose day it is to choose are here, they begin.

"One hundred years ago, after the war, our ancestors believed the only way for the human race to remain at peace was to form the factions we know today. The factions were formed because we all think differently, but we can be grouped into a society that believes the way we do. Some believed the only way to remain at peace was to always tell the truth; thus Candor was born. Others believed that if we were happy and joyful, no war could we waged; thus Amity was born. Some believed it was cowards to blame for war and that bravery would withhold; thus Dauntless was born. Others believed it was with knowledge that we would bring and sustain peace; thus from this Erudite was born. Finally, Some believed it was selflessness that would keep peace; thus was born Abnegation," my father finished.

"Today, the eligible sixteen year olds from every faction come together on this day, we know as Choosing Day, to choose the faction they belong in and want to be in for the rest of their life. By doing this, you do your faction a favor by helping sustain the peace," Mr. Eaton continued on after my father.

"By sustaining peace, we thank you," finished off Mr. Prior.

I looked to Beatrice who looked directly back at me. She offered me a smile and I did the same. I would be going before her. I would be going before everyone I knew personally. I would be a transfer.

To my relief, only Mr. Eaton stayed up on stage while my father and Beatrice's took their seats. Mr. Eaton began calling the names.

"Ashton Algenn," Mr. Eaton called. The boy stumbled out of his chair and nearly fell forward while walking. I did not expect that from a Dauntless boy. He took the knife from Mr. Eaton and sliced his hand. Immediately, he dropped his blood into the bowl for Amity. The Amity welcomed him with open arms, while the Dauntless made disgusted noises. They would now see him as a traitor.

The calling of names continued.

"Elizabeth Bellhow." She stayed in Abnegation  
"Jacob Cartwright." Transfer from Candor to Erudite.  
"Kelsey Kalkey." She stayed in Candor. Next, her twin sister was called, Khloe, who transferred to Erudite. Her father looked stunned while her mother cried into her husbands shoulder.

Named continued to be called. I must have zoned out because Marcus had to call my name twice and Beatrice had to poke me to realize my name had been called. Goose bumps arose on my arms and all I could hear was my heart pounding.. It was so loud, I wondered if everyone could hear it too. I rose from my chair and looked at Beatrice. She nodded at me reassuringly.

I nodded and walked to the stage, up the three small stairs and onto the platform where Marcus stood. He offered me the knife I would very soon slice my hand with. I took it and looked into his eyes. They were a strange blue. Electrical and deep.

I sliced my hand and looked at my family. They sat together. My Abnegation brothers offered me a smile. Louis wiggled his eyebrows at me as he had done the night before at the dinner table. Jacob looked at me and nodded, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking and encouraged me. Jayson grinned at me and whispered something to Jacob. My mother gave me a reassuring smile and so did my father. I wondered if that smile would still be there once my choice had been made.

Next, I looked at Andrew who just started blankly back at me. Lastly, I looked at Jackson. He smiled crookedly. Anger rushed surged through my veins.

I let the blood well into my palm and without hesitation dropped it in the Dauntless bowl of coals.

I heard the Dauntless Erupt into cheers.

I looked at Beatrice, who would soon join me. She nodded to me and grinned. I dared one last look at Jackson. He looked stunned and had gone pale white. Self-satisfaction coursed through my veins. I had done something to have that expression emerge on his face. I looked at Jacob, Jayson and Louis. They all looked proud of me and gave me warm smiles. Jayson even nodded. My mother, my dear sweet mother smiled at me. I dared another look at my Abnegation brothers and my father. My brothers looked simply shocked. My father however, looked astonished. But he also looked a little proud.

I smiled at him, to see what would happen. Was I wrong about how he felt? Right as I was about to look away, he nodded at me and his lips twisted up into an almost smile.

I walked over to the Dauntless and stood in the back of the pack. A few members slapped me on my back and shoulders, as if to congratulate me on transferring. I also heard a few Dauntless-borns say, "She'll never make it," or, "Small frys never gonna survive initiation."  
I would have to prove them wrong.

After me, I mostly zoned out at the other names. The word Prior woke me up. Caleb was walking up onto the platform. He took the knife and sprinkled his blood over the bowl for Erudite. I was past shocked. Beatrice's brother, the perfect Abnegation boy, a transfer? Well, how about them apples.  
Beatrice followed next. Her parents would loose both their children I thought.  
Without hesitation, she held her hand out over Dauntless. I was proud of her.  
She came to the Dauntless pack and was also congratulated by some Dauntless members. I smiled at her and she returned it. We held hands and stood together. We would be a united front.

Soon other names were called. Robert transferred to Amity while Susan remained Abnegation. There were more transfers than I expected.

The cute Dauntless boy from the school lunch room whom I had spoken to came over to me before all the names were called. Beatrice pushed me towards him and mouthed something about how I should do a hair flip or something. I slammed into him and he caught me.

He grinned and I smiled sheepishly and trained to regain my balence. Dauntless girls did not rely on the assistance of boys.

"Glad to see you," he said and smiled even brighter. Before he let go I got a good feel of his arms which were more muscular than I thought. He was wearing dark jeans that were a little tighter at his ankles, dark, black shoes, and shirt along with a black jacket.  
He looked good like that.

"Same," I said. I had lost all vocabulary. He made me nervous.  
I shouldn't be nervous! I was screaming at myself. SAY SOMETHING. YOU'RE BEING WEIRD. SAY ANYTHING. OH MY GOSH.  
I ended up just smiling.  
He smiled back.  
I blushed.  
He walked back over to his friends, but his eyes lingered on me occasionally. I wondered how red my face had gotten.

Soon all the names were read off. Dauntless left first. Abnegation would leave last, probably even clean up the place. I looked back at my family. My parents smiled at me, my transfer brothers nodded approvingly at me that I had made my own choice. My Abnegation brothers looked astonished, but didn't seem angry. Andrew and Jackson's expressions were my favorite. They looked at me with such shock, I thought they would go into cardiac arrest. That would be welcomed by me.

Beatrice's mother looked happy, but her father looked more angry than anything. I held her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She looked at me and smiled. "They'll forgive you. They love you," I said in an attempt to help her. My best friend had done this for me. I mean, she did this because she wanted to be Dauntless, but she didn't leave me alone either. I would not leave her alone at a time like this.

Soon, the Dauntless up ahead began shouting and hollering. They walked toward the stair. Weird, I thought only Abnegation used the stairs. Then I understood. The Dauntless began running while hollering. We were pushed forward along with the crowd and were forced to run. The feeling made my legs hurt, but it felt good. Beatice held onto my hand even tighter so we would not loose each other. The Dauntless boy - Uriah - ran alongside me and shouted, "Welcome to Dauntless!"  
I ran even faster.  
I was now a Dauntless initiate.  
I now felt free.


	4. Chapter 4

We had been running for so long now, I lost track of time. My legs ached and and my lungs felt like they were burning.  
It felt good in a weird way. It felt like I had been a caged animal all this time and I was just set free.

We ran to the train tracks and I could feel my heart stop. I had seen the Dauntless leave and arrive school on a daily basis.  
We were going to have to jump on a moving train.

The Dauntless stopped near the tracks in a line formation. I heard one of the Dauntless leaders, Max, say, "Should be here any minute now," to another Dauntless member. She turned around. It was Tori!  
So many questions flew through in my head waiting to be asked. But with all these people around, now was hardly the time.  
She strode over to Beatrice and I. "Nice to see you haven't died yet, Stiffs." Beatrice rolled her eyes. "There's a reason we left Abnegation, you know. We don't have a death wish." She sounded sarcastic. That was the problem with Beatrice. Ever since we were little, she always sounded like she challenged people when she spoke, though she hardly meant it. She just never wanted to be over looked. But mouthing off to a Dauntless elder? That was a death wish wrapped up by death himself.

To my surprise, Tori just chuckled, nodded to both of us, and strode back to her position next to Max.

I looked in the far distance and could see headlights.  
"Oh boy," I said  
Beatrice looked at me and grabbed my hand. She gave me a reassuring smile and I did the same back. The train lurched closer and we stood there hand in hand watching the first few Dauntless jump onto the train with ease. They began helping the less experienced.  
Beatrice hollered over the noise, "Run along side first! We can jump on, on the count of three!"  
I nodded and we took off running together.  
"One!"  
"Two!"  
"THREE!" We said in unison.  
Beatrice was closer to the train and got on first. Holding hands was probably a bad idea because of the angle I was at. Beatrice lurched on, dragging me with. My shins slammed into the side of the train with such force, that if it wasn't for a broad, muscular Dauntless leader, I would have probably ended up factionless.  
The Dauntless helped me up while Beatrice dusted herself off. He smiled at me and said, "Well, glad to see that you Stiffs made it so far. Try not to die too soon, alright?" I expected him to sound terrifying, with all his piercings and tattoos, but his voice was deep and almost soothing.  
"My names Eric," he said, "if you need anything just let me know."

I did not expect that. He seemed dangerous. Probably best to just thank him and get out of the way.  
"Thanks," I said and offered him a nod. He left and went to go stand by Max and Tori. I look around the room when my eyes stop on the cute Dauntless boy - Uriah. He's looking at Eric, almost angry. Is that jealousy I see in his face too? His facial composure changes immediately when he sees me and smiles warmly. I smile back and know I'm blushing. I don't know what is it with him but just one look I feel like I'm floating. Beatrice then came up to me and dragged me over to a corner of the train where we took a seat.

There were lots of Candor initiate transfers. Then Erudite, and I think just us. Smaller group than I expected. Probably lost a few in the act of jumping onto a moving train.  
One Candor girl came over and sat with Beatrice and I. She had bronze skin and dark, brown hair. She was quite tall and seemed to already have some muscle.  
"Hey. I'm Christina. Mind if I sit with you?"  
"Go ahead." Beatrice said. "I'm," Beatrice quickly looked at me before she would continue. I knew our Abnegation names would not fit well hear and so did she. She quickly recovered. "I'm Tris. This," she pointed to me, "is Belle."  
Christina smiled, "Well, it's nice to meet you then."  
Huh, I guess I'm Belle now. Usually I'd like Beatr- Tris to tell me this kind of stuff, especially choosing a name for me that will be with me for the rest of my life but I actually like it. It has a ring to it. Pun intended.  
She looked over her shoulder and glared at two boys and a girl who had such broad shoulders and crooked teeth, I thought she could pass for a boy.  
Christina ends up glaring at them.  
"Who are they?" I ask.  
Christina turns around looking board. "The main one is Peter and then his side kicks, Drew and Molly. They've been inseparable since birth. I think if Peter died, Molly and Drew would starve to death; they're that stupid."  
"Huh, sounds like they're a clique then?" Tris asks.  
"The stupidest one around," Christina says.  
I just laugh. I don't know why but when I have nothing to say, laughter erupts within me. Tris just looks at me and lets out a laugh. Christina joins us and soon the three of us are just laughing like we had the best joke in the world. Some of the other initiates look at like like we're crazy but some look like they wish they were apart of our fun.  
I turn around still laughing off my laugh and catch Uriah staring at me. He immediately blushes through his deep, tan skin and lowers his head probably ashamed in being caught while looking at me. He looks back up a little to check to see if I'm looking and then I realize that now I'm the one still staring; I can feel myself blush, though I don't know why. He is just about to get off leaning on the wall and walk in my direction when Max, Dauntless leader yells over the noise.  
"IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES, THE TRAIN WILL SLOW DOWN RIGHT OVER A 7 STORY BUILDING. YOU WILL JUMP ONTO THE ROOF. REMEMBER, YOU CHOSE DAUNTLESS. NOW WE HAVE TO CHOOSE YOU!"

One Erudite boy says, "That's irrational! We could die! The probability of-"  
Eric, the Dauntless who helped me on the train interrupts him. "If I wanted to put up with Erudite smart mouths, don't you think I would've transferred there? Do what is asked of you, initiate. You'll last longer."  
The Erudite, Will, just mumbles something. All I catch is, "Stupid... Idiot... Eminent death..."  
Isn't that a confidence booster?

I think Tris and Christina see my apprehension because Tris grabs my hand and so does Christina, my friend for like 3 minutes.  
We walk to the train doors that are open. I can feel the wind whipping and whirling around.  
"Initiates off first!" Eric shouts.  
"I don't think three in a row will work out well," I yell over the roar of the train. "I mean last time I pretty much bruised my shins!"  
"I think she's right!" Christina yells.  
Tris nods. I know I can be brave. "You guys go ahead! I think I got this!"

Tris looks at me. I can see it in her eyes. She saying, I'm sorry and how it was supposed to be us together. I just nod her in encouragement. We won't always have each other, and we both know that.  
I take a step back. I feel alone. I feel vulnerable.

Just when I feel overly alone, someone steps close to me and says, "Don't worry. It's actually not as bad a jump as you might think. My first time wasn't as bad as thought. Just bend your knees and use the momentum of the train while it turns the corner." Uriah finishes with a smile. I can't help but smile back and nod.

He must see how afraid I am because he steps closer and takes my much smaller hands in his.  
"We can do it together, if you want." He loosens his grip on my hand, unsure if I want his there. I immediately hold on tighter, "I'd like that," I say.

Uriah smiles at me and leans closer to me. The wind whips my loosened pieces of hair and I have to shake my head to send them back. I notice Eric staring at Uriah and I and he looks, angry? I can't be sure; it was hard to see through my hair flying.

"When I tell you to, jump with me, okay?" Uriah asks while taking a step back and dragging me along in the process. He must see how truly afraid I am because he then says, "You can trust me. I won't let you fall, I promise."

I nod and he holds my hand tighter. Though I've only spoken to this boy a few times, I want to trust him more than I've trusted anyone. He has a certain comforting feel about him.

"Alright! On three, okay?" I nod.  
"One," Uriah says dramatically.  
"Two.." Uriah says, in a deep voice, which makes me laugh.  
"Three!" Uriah yells and we take off.  
His legs are longer than mine and he pulls me with him. I can feel the momentum of the train that Uriah was talking about and use it to my advantage. We jump off the train together, hand in hand and I feel the giddiness of being airborne and suddenly envy birds for what they get to do everyday.

We land on the roof together, and Uriah still hasn't let go of my hand. I probably have to work on my technique because I land improperly and send a shooting pain up my leg and causes it to throb. I fall over from the pain and I drag Uriah down with me. He ends up on top of me, still holding my hand. He laughs.

"See, that wasn't so bad, huh Stif- you know, I think after that, I deserve to at least what your name is, so I don't have to call you Stiff anymore," He says, matter-of-fact-ly while pulling me up. He lets go of my hand and waits.

"My names Belle," I say a little shy. I don't know why but I begin to blush. Uriah smiles, "Now that's a pretty name." He then says to himself, "A pretty name to a pretty face." It's obvious that he only meant to think it and instead said it out loud by the way he blushes and how big his eyes get.

I smile and look around. All around us are initiates peeling themselves off the roof floor and some are bleeding. I assess myself for wounds. My elbow is scraped and so is my right knee. I see Tris and Christina just getting up and I jog over to them. They don't look too bad.

"Looks like you have admirers, hmm?" Christina comments.  
Tris nods looking around.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, confused.  
Then I understand when I look around. Uriah is still looking at me even though he has joined his friends. Eric, the Dauntless leader, is looking between me and Uriah but this time doesn't look too mad. He sees me and offers me a slight smile.  
Other initiate guys look at me too, up and down. I duck my head. I've always gotten looks and stares, but this just feels wrong right after jumping off a moving train.

Max shouts for us to come near the end of the roof. He stands on the ledge while Eric stands off to his side and so does Tori.

Beatric- Tris, Christina and I all walk over and so do the others. I stand beside Tris and Uriah comes and stands next to me. Max yells over the wind.

"As you can tell, Dauntless initiation began the minute you chose us! Congratulations on making it this far! Now you will be asked to enter the Dauntless compound. It's honestly not too bad, so don't be afraid!"

I don't understand why we would be afraid until Max fakes falling off the roof.  
We have to jump off the roof.

Some of the Erudite, who realized what we must do begin to murmur to themselves. Probably debating the statistics of survival.

"We give you, the initiates the honor of jumping first!" Eric announces.  
Every one takes baby steps back, even Tris. I find myself walking forward, curious to find out what lies at the edge of the roof.  
I hear snickers behind me or gasps, but they don't register. Right now my curiosity has taken over. I catch, "Stiff... Death... Stupid..." and snickers. Then I hear, "Cut her some slack, she's made it this far, unlike some. And she's the only one up there. I'd like to see some of you transfers try to be first." Uriah sounds angry. I can't imagine why.

I make it to the edge and peer over. There is a wide hole in the ground where I guess I must jump through. I reason that there has to be something at the bottom preventing us from dying. I mean, they wouldn't kill us right off, right?  
It is Dauntless...

I get up on the ledge. The wind makes me dizzy and sends me a little off balance. I take off my outer sweater. Underneath I wear a t-shirt. No one has ever seen me in it, and its the tightest article of clothing I own. In the process, I hear people saying scandalous, and making oohh noises behind me. I look back and throw the sweater at Tris. She catches it and smiles at me encouragingly. Christina laughs nervously and nods to me. Uriah looks, proud? Eric just studies my every movement. The way he looks at things, studious and intrigued, he seems like an erudite.

I focus on the task at hand. If I don't just do it, I probably never will. At the same time, I have to seem brave. Without warning, I just jump. I reason with myself that I was graceful enough. I am airborne for such a short time before I am enveloped by darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

I hit something. It's not hard, but it's sturdy and feels like rope knotted with rope.

A net.

I knew there would be something there to catch me! My eyes adjust into the darkness. Hands reach out to help me over off the net. I see the jump from the net is longer than my height. I grab one of the many hands and hold on tight as they pull me over and onto stable ground. I reach out in an effort to stabilize myself and grab onto another person's arm.

The first hand I held onto belongs to a young woman, probably a year or two older than I. She has brown hair, lighter than mine, and she is taller. The second hand that stabilized me belongs to a young man, roughly two or three years older than me too. He is tall and muscular with short brown hair. I catch a glimpse of his face when he moves into the light. He has electric, dark blue eyes.

They look familiar...

The girl smiles at me and the boy looks at me in surprise.

"Hello. My names Lauren and this is Four," the girl says. The boy - Four, nods at me with the mention of his name.

"Huh," Lauren says, "a Stiff. The first jumper? Definitely unheard of!" "What's your name, Abnegation?" Lauren asks.

"My names Belle." I say, calmer and steadier than I thought my voice would be.

"Make the announcement, Four!" Lauren chimes to her friend, the tall boy with electric blue eyes. Four turns around to the darkness.

"FIRST JUMPER; BELLE!" He hollers. Out of no where, a mass of people appear out of the darkness. They hoot and holler and stamp their feet.

It's peaceful and exciting at the same time.

I feel free.

Right into the middle of the Dauntless hooting and hollering, someone screams and hits the net. It's Tris!

I laugh so hard at the way she screamed! The boy, Four, helps her over the net and talks to her while another scream pierces the Dauntless cheering; it's Uriah! The Dauntless cheers turns into laughter with another screaming jumper, but they soon recover and continue cheering.

A different boy helps Uriah. He looks very similar to him; same skin tone, almost the same height, though Uriah is taller, and same muscular structure. As soon as Uriah is stable on the ground the Dauntless boy who helped Uriah puts him into a headlock and begins to roughly grind his knuckles against Uriah's head. Both boys laugh, even when Uriah is trying to punch him away. I laugh and Uriah must hear me because he looks up.

Uriah comes over and brings along his Dauntless friend who likes to rub his knuckles against Uriah's head. I do not really understand the enjoyment of that, but then again, I'm from Abnegation. I smile to Uriah and he hugs me. I'm not used to hugging many people, mainly Tris and my family, so I don't know how to respond. Uriah must sense my discomfort because he immediately lets go and instead puts his hands on my shoulders which sends electrical shocks through me.

He smiles at me. "Congrats, First Jumper," he says warmly. His Dauntless friend asks, "Uriah, is this the girl you wouldn't shut up about when you came home from school on Test Day?" Uriah gets so red at this remark. He punches his friend in the stomach and says, "SHUT UP ZEKE!"

The only thing that registers in my mind was that the boy Zeke said Uriah wouldn't stop talking about me. Butterflies arrive in my stomach.

The two boys continue play fighting until Uriah's friend beckons for him to join her. She has a shaved head and looks pretty tough. Better not get in her way. Uriah says, "I'll be right back," to me and punches Zeke playfully before leaving. Before I am about to go join Tris, Zeke pulls me by the arm, not hard, but to hold me back.

"I'm Zeke, Uriah's older brother." He holds out his hand motioning for me to shake it. I haven't really shook hands much and take his with uncertainty. I grasp his hand with about the same pressure and shake it a few times.

I hope I did that right.

"I'm Belle," I say.

"Well, a Stiff the first jumper, that's definitely a name I won't forget." I smile lightly. I guess first jumpers are known well around here.

"Uriah hasn't shut up about you, and it's good to finally meet his mystery girl," Zeke says with a smile. "Like ever since Test Day, all I heard him mumble about was if he'd ever see you again, so it's good to know he can shut up about it now," Zeke says. He doesn't sound angry, more playful if anything. "Well I'll see you around Stif- Belle, I mean." Zeke corrects himself and offers me a smile, looking guilty. I didn't know the Dauntless were actually kind of nice.

I smile back and walk towards Tris. We watch the rest of the initiates jump. The clique Christina was talking about, Molly, Drew, and Peter all jump consecutively, then a few of the other Candor and Erudite. The boy, Will is still mumbling about eminent death when he jumps off the net.

I note that I am second to smallest, right before Tris. We will have to stick together until we learn some self defense. I heard Dauntless initiation was quite difficult.

After all the initiates have jumped, Max, Tori, and Eric all jump and get off the net without assistance. Eric see's me and walks over to me. "Well never thought I'd live to see the day an Abnegation jumped first, but here you are." He says. Though he looks very Dauntless, I can see it in his eyes that he is analyzing my every move. Maybe he was a transfer from Erudite.

Being around him makes me feel uncomfortable, but I simply say, "Well, looks like you may need a new goal to set to live to then, huh?" Eric looks at me and laughs, "Guess so Stiff, guess so."

Soon Lauren and Four get everyone's attention.

"Dauntless borns, I assume you won't need a tour of the place. Lets go guys." Lauren says.

"Transfers, you're with me. Lets go guys." Right before I head off, Uriah finds me.

"Hey, I'll come find you when I can, okay?"

I simply smile and nod and say, "Don't forget about me."

Uriah smiles brighter, "I'd never dream of it. Besides, we jumped off a moving train together onto a roof. Now if that doesn't bind us together, I don't know what I believe in then." I laugh and give Uriah one last smile before I turn around and join Tris. Just as I am turning around, I catch Zeke smiling over at me and Uriah with Lauren, Eric glaring menacingly at Uriah, and Peter looking at me, though I don't know why considering we've never spoken. I join my group with Four at the lead and walk into more darkness, finding myself smiling again about the cute Dauntless boy whose name I now know to be Uriah.

The only difference is, I'm in the Dauntless compound instead on my way home to Abnegation.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! Thanks for reading! Leave in the comments what you want to happen so I can try to incorporate it in! I know I want an eventual Uriah and Belle thing to happen but if you want the story from different POV's or anything to happen in the story just leave it in the comments! Review too(: **

The rest of the tour includes stops at the Pit, where I see Tori in a tattoo parlor giving a Dauntless his 32nd tattoo, and a stop at the Chasm.

"This is the fine line between bravery and idiocy!" Four yells over the roar of the rushing water. "Every year, there is usually one initiate who jumps! Be careful. That 15 foot drop is fatal! You have been warned."

Once the tour was concluded, Four guided our group to the cafeteria. Peter, Drew, and Molly all sat at the end of the table Four guided us to. Four takes a seat next to Zeke who's next to Lauren. Uriah is there along with a few of his friends. I sit next to Uriah and then Tris and Christina, Will, and another Candor boy named Al all join us. A few of the other initiates sit at tables near by for more privacy.

"So," the girl with the shaved head next to Uriah says. "This is that girl from Test Day. Didn't know she was a Stiff," she says with a snicker.

I know it'd be best not to piss her off, but I also have to show her I'm not to be messed with. Tris nudges me, probably thinking the same thing. Right before Uriah is about to try and defend me, I interject.

"Well, here's something you can rely on. You won't be calling me Stiff soon when I beat you in initiation. Count on it."

Everyone at the table stares at me with an open jaw. Even Four stares at me. I guess they never expected an Abnegation to be such a smartass. All I do is set my jaw and wait for a punch or a fight or something!

The silence is getting eerie. Hopefully she's not top in the class or something...

Tris saves me before I start praying. "What? Didn't expect that from a Stiff? Well get used to it. We left for a reason. Sooner you learn that, the better for you."

She sounds tough! Everyone's jaw drops even farther when she says that. I nudge Tris back as a sign of thanks and she smiles at me.

Zeke finally breaks the silence. "Well, nice to know we've finally got someone to kick some ass around here!" He breaks into a grin. Four's lips slip into a smile and Lauren looks kinda proud. I just smile and take the compliment. Uriah looks at me and smiles as he leans in to whisper something to me.

"You look good when your angry."

I let out a laugh and smile at him, not caring that I'm most likely blushing.

I stare at the table. There's a few bread buns with some food in-between that I've only seen kids at school eat. Uriah nudges me and hands me one.

"It's actually better than it looks," he says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" Uriah sounds stunned.

"Stiffs eat plain food. It's part of being selfless."

Four interjects sounding bored. I take a bite. It is actually better than it looks.

"MMmm, that's, that's really good," I say with a mouthful. Everyone at the table laughs, including Tris.

"Looks like we made the right choice, Belle," Tris says to me.

"Oh yes. We transfer for the food, and only the food," I say back.

Everyone at the table laughs again and Uriah gives me a warm smile.

After lunch, Four guides the transfers to the Transfer dormitory.

"Dauntless-borns and transfers train separately for stage one. You will be staying here for your time in Dauntless until you are either cut in initiation or become a Dauntless Member. There are 10 of you and by the end of stage one, there will be 7 left. Tomorrow, we will begin training by showing you how to handle weapons. Be at the training room at 8:00 sharp, or face the consequences. See you in the morning, Initiates."

Four left us to ourselves. At lunch, Four explained the Dauntless point system, but told us that we were left some clothes for training tomorrow.

I walk over to a bunk near Tris and Christina. I sit down on my bed and look underneath at the draws for clothes that might fit. There's a pair of black, tight leggings and a loose maroon v-neck. It looks good to wear.

I look over to Tris and Christina, "I'm going to go change, if you guys wanna go too." They nod and pick out something to wear.

We all walk to the bathroom and go change. I don't look too bad, in fact, the outfit suits me. Tris chose a black dress and Christina chose to keep her black pants on and exchanged her white Candor shirt for a black one.

Christina pulls out a pouch, and then pulls out a lipstick.

"You transferred, and decided to bring your make up bag with you?" Tris asked with a laugh.

"A girl's gotta look good," Christina replied with a smile. She offered to do our make up, but I preferred to not have anything on. We walked back to the dormitory, where Will and Al came up to us.

"We want to go get tattoos, if you wanna join," Al said.

"I want the true Dauntless experience," Will chimed in.

Christina smiled at Will and said, "Sounds good, I'm in."

She looked at Tris and I. "I'm in if you're in," Tris said to me.

"Let's do it," I said back.

We walked down to the tattoo parlor where Tori was.

She welcomed us with a smile, "Looky here Bud," she said, "we got some transfers looking for tattoos I'm guessing?"

"You got it," Christina said with a smile. Tori gave us a few books, "Pick what you like, I can do any of those," she said.

"I know what I want," Al and Will said simultaneously. I guess they had given this some thought. They went back with Tori.

"What are you gonna get?" I asked Christina. "I think I want to get a tattoo of something in black and white, to represent Candor. I know I left, but I don't want to forget where I came from," she said.

She sounded like she had given this some thought.

Tris smiled. "I like that."

Christina walks over to Bud who sits her down in a chair and begins to stencil the design for her.

"What do you think you're gonna get?" I ask Tris now that we're alone. She looks at me, looking a little sad.

"I want to get something, to symbolize my family. Maybe birds flying away or something." Her head hangs low. I can tell she thought about this too. I put my arm around her and give her a hug.

"That sounds beautiful, Tris," I say. She smiles at me and walks off to another tattoo artist. I wait alone now. I wonder what I'm going to get. I could get something about God. Abnegation was the only kind of religious faction. But, I'm not sure how much it would mean to me.

I could get something about my family, but in this world, the path I have chosen, I am alone. Then it comes to me. I've read about animals in books. There's one called a Tiger. It is a predator, but it's smart, and fast. They hunt in packs, but also survive well on their own.

Will and Al walk out of the back with Tori.

"What'd you get?" I ask them. They both got two tattoos. One of the same kind, for friendship and another different one they chose to keep to themselves for know. Tori calls for me and I walk confidently in the back and sit down in the chair.

Around 30 minutes I walk out with a new tattoo of a few Tiger stripes across my heart and collarbone that show through my v-neck.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Sorry this chapters a little boring, but I had to have a this chapter be there to set up Belle's Dauntless life! Review, PM me, tell me what you guys want to happen and give me feedback(: Enjoy!**

That night I don't fall asleep very easily.

I hear some of the weaker initiates, like Myra, and surprisingly Al, sobbing. I wonder what keeps them up. Is it the fear of eminent death or the weakness brought by leaving the ones you love. I wonder why I'm not really sad.

I mean, my parents didn't look angry, and I left Andrew and Jackson, so I guess I'm better off.I drift off; the last thing I remember was listening to the light sobs of Al.

I wake up with a start. I had an awful dream that I didn't understand - I was standing near the chasm when one of the initiates pushed me in. Except when I hit the bottom, I hit water and began drowning. That's when I woke up.

The clock across from me reads 6:50. I push off my blankets, rub my face and walk over to the bathrooms down the hall with a new pair of clothes. My feet are sticky and make suction sounds as I walk on the cold tile. I hear voices and look up. It's Al and Will.

I feel kind of weird seeing Al. He's tall and muscular and quite good looking. Trying to link him to the weeping boy I heard last night makes me uncomfortable.

"Hey Belle," says Will. Al greets me with a smile. I got to know both boys better last night after we all got our tattoos.

"Hey guys," I say, still groggy from sleep. "Ready for training?"

"Oh yeah!" says Al, clearly better from last night. He sounds ready for a challenge.

I smile and say, "Well I guess I'll see you guys there then?" "You got it!" Al says cheerfully to me and walks away while Will lingers.

"Can I help you?" I say with a smile. Will is also just as good looking as Al, but he has more of a calm aura to him.

"Yeah I just.. Well uh," Will rubs the back of his head and looks at his feet.

I feel uncomfortable and say, "Yeees?" in a sing-song voice. Suddenly I remember my voice instructor. I never did get to say goodbye...

"Well uh, your friend... Christina.. Is she.. Well.. Does she like anyone?" Will asks. I relax in relief. Usually thats how declarations of love begin, and I was not ready for one at 6:50 in the morning.

I smile and say, "Look Will, it's been less than a day, but I'll be sure to put in a good word for you, hmm?" He smiles at me and gives me a quick hug, "You're the best, Belle!"

He runs off to Al and I call after him, "You owe me!"

After freshening up, I walk back to the dormitory to find Tris and Christina. They've already changed. "Wanna go get breakfast with us?" Christina asks me. "Yeah sure," I say. I am _starving_.

We walk into the lunch room and heads turn our way. A couple of Dauntless slap me on the back and say, "Wow, first jumper, huh?" or "Way to go, kid!" I just take the compliments and smile back. Nice to know that I'm known already.

We all sit at a table near Four's, incase he makes an announcement. Will and Al soon join us.

"So what do you think we're doing to day?" Christina asks excitedly.

"Four said we were doing like weapon training or something," Tris says back analyzing her food.

"I wonder if we're gonna learn how to fight soon," Will says curiously.

"I bet we will," Al says back. "This is Dauntless after all..."

When we're all done, we go to dump our trays. The aisles are only so wide that Christina and Tris have to walk a foot in front of me, leaving me back. It's getting irritating how Christina has been hogging Tris from me. I mean, I understand that she's a new friend but Tris and I have been together longer...

After breakfast, we all make our way to the training room. Four and Eric stand near a table with guns and knives.

Once all of us are there, Four begins. "Stage one prepares you physically. Today, we will be showing you how to use a gun and later, throw knives."

We all line up while Four straps a gun to each of us.

"What does," Peter yawns, "learning how to handle a gun teach us?"

Four immediately walks over to Peter and puts his gun up to Peter's head and clicks the bullet into place. Some initiates gasp in horror.

"Wake up! You're holding a very lethal, deadly weapon. Act like it. And for your information, the more you know about how to defend yourself, the less likely you are to go wet your pants or cry for mommy when danger comes." Peter immediately stiffens and quits yawning.

Four is quite intimidating.

"First we will work on stance. I suggest you watch very carefully what I do. It may come in handy for later stages, or in you Dauntless life - if you make it." I watch very closely. I know that I'm small for fighting, but I do have tricks up my sleeve; however I don't know how good some of these initiates are.. I overheard Molly talking about Edward, an initiate who has trained in hand to hand combat since he was 10 - for fun..

Four balances himself evenly on both of his feet. He holds the gun in a secure stance, prepares himself for the gun to shoot, and hits a target some 20 feet away - directly in the center. Four turns to us so nonchalantly that you'd have never guessed he just shot a bullseye.

No wonder they have him training us - he must be a Dauntless prodigy.

I notice Tris watching Four, even though he is done. I don't blame her, he is quite good looking and muscular. He's mysterious... and it's intriguing.

"Your turn," Four says and walks back over to the table near Eric to watch. I take my stance and feel the true weight of my gun. It's quite heavy, and frankly, I don't feel comfortable holding it. Four is going around checking each person, watching their movements, ranking to see whose best.

"You're small but you have a good stance."

I whip my head around. It's Eric. Why'd he come to me when there are so many other people? Eric places a hand on my arm and guides it to a better holding spot on the gun.

"Be prepared for the recoil when you shoot. Some people get smacked in the face, which is why you should have it next to you, not in front until you know how to properly handle it."

He puts both hands on either side of my waist and pulls me back a bit and steadies me along with the gun. I notice that everyone is watching, including Four, who looks shocked. I get the feeling that Eric doesn't do this very often...

Eric notices everyone's eyes and snaps. "Did I say to stop? No!"

Everyone immediately returns to their work as Eric strides away back to the table and continues watching. I take into account everything he said, even though I felt very awkward the entire time. I rebalance my feet back into my stance, place my hands very carefully where Eric told me to.

I shoot.

Everyone stares at me once again. Four walks over to my target and inspects it. He turns around with a slight smile, "Well done," he says and nods at me in appreciatively.

I am the only initiate who so far has hit the target. And, I'm the only initiate to hit a bullseye. I turn around and see Eric grinning slightly and then he sees me. I don't know why he helped me and only me out of all the initiates, but it was kind enough, so I nod at him to thank him. His smile deepens.

I turn back around and see Tris looking at me. I stride over to her and give her some pointers until she finally hits her target. Christina takes longer but Will and Al catch on quickly, although Al seems shaky. Once everyone has at least remotely hit their targets, we are dismissed for a quick lunch break.

When we walk back into the training room, the table is lined with knives instead of the guns we used earlier.

I smile.

When I was still in Abnegation, I found a dart board while walking home past the Factionless Sector of the city. I pretended the center was Jacksons head and practiced throwing the darts in my free time. Not even Tris knows that. I will definitely be good at this.

"Welcome back. For the rest of today, we will be working on throwing knives. Four here will be teaching you how to throw accurately and properly," Eric finishes and turns to Four. He doesn't look happy to have to give Four the floor.

Four walks up without saying anything. He stands across from a target, turns around, and sets his feet about hip with apart. His right hand is behind his head as he spins launching the knife directly into what would be the heart if the target was a real person.

He really is a Dauntless prodigy.

"For the rest of training today, you will learn how to throw knives." He then goes into a long explanation, to which I listen to intently. He discusses the proper stance, proper throwing techniques, different tips for different people, etc. When he's done, Four swiftly throws a knife into a target, definitely a bullseye.

"Your turn, initiates," he says and motions for us to begin.

I see Tris faking the knife throw, to learn proper throwing skills before she tries with the real deal.

"Forget what a knife is, Stiff?" Peter asks sneering. I can see Tris's agitation, but she doesn't let it show too much. I only see it because I know what to look for.

I work on myself now. I work my feet into proper stance, about hip width apart and balanced. My back is straight and I'm relaxed. I know I have to get my head in the zone. I picture myself back in my Abnegation room, standing across from my dart board that I'd hang up when no one was home to catch me. I picture my left hand bending back behind my head and the dart airborne as I launch my hand forward in a quick, swift motion.

I do exactly that, except this time, it's a knife in my hand being launched instead of a dart.

In a matter of seconds, my knife is stuck in the target, less than a centimeter from the direct center, but I'm the best hit so far.

Everyone, once again stares at me in shock, including Tris. If I were still in Abnegation, I would have been scolded for drawing so much attention, but I don't care anymore. I stand tall, let everyone take me in. Let them know, that unlike most Stiffs, I'm not to be messed with.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! Super happy it's Friday and decided to post this early! Hope you like it(: Comment, review, you know the drill(:**

So far almost everyone has at least remotely hit the target; everyone except one initiate- Al.

His hand is too shaky and on his throw, the knife slips and lands somewhere near Eric who spins around instantaneously.

"What the hell was that, initiate?" He barks at Al.

Al trembles. I would too if I were him. Eric can be frightening.

"I, uh, the knife.. it slipped.." Al replies looking at his feet.

"In Dauntless, knives don't slip! And you will look at me when I talk to you, initiate!" Eric rages on.

Four gets up and stalks over a little closer. I catch Tris watching him again. She looks at me, worriedly. Al has become our friend in our few hours at Dauntless. Al just stares at Eric as Eric glares mutinously back.

When Al doesn't respond, Eric barks at the rest of us, "Did I tell you to stop?! Throw, initiates!"

He then turns back to Al and says, much calmer, "Go get it."

Al looks up, obviously confused. "Get what?" He asks.

Eric stares at him, calm and controlled. "Go get the knife, initiate."

Al suddenly stares at Eric, terrified. "Are you kidding? I'll get stabbed!"

Eric strides over to Al and says once again, "Go and get it, initiate."

Four looks worried.

Al debates this in his ex-Candor mind. Finally he turns back to Eric. "No," he responds, holding his ground. Eric's lips slip into a smile. "EVERYONE STOP," he roars.

At once all knives are steadied and silence over comes our huddle of initiates.

"Go stand by the target," Eric says to Al. "Hey Four, a little help here?" Eric says nonchalantly to Four, who gets up and grabs three knives from the table. It finally comes to me what it is, that's about to happen.

Four is going to throw knives at Al.

Many initiates grasp what will happen too and take in a collective gasp. Al realizes and begins to shake. "

Four here will throw knives at you. This is your punishment for disobeying direct orders from your Instructor and Dauntless leader. Al shakes uncontrollably as Four strides over to stand 10 feet from the target. Surely he won't miss; he's a Dauntless prodigy. It has to be a stunt like jumping off the roof into the compound was. Four is about to throw his first knife when Al closes his eyes.

"Eyes open, initiate," Four says sounding bored. Al shakes uncontrollably now, as if he had hypothermia. Suddenly, I hear the familiar voice i've hear one too many times speak up at a time like this; the voice of my best friend.

"Stop!" Tris says forcefully. Eric whips his head around to face her, anger in is eyes.

"Bullying is a form of cowardice. Last time I checked, Dauntless around _cowards_," she hisses.

That's my best friend. The one that always speaks her mind, and in the most sarcastic and challenging way possible that one day it may just get her into far worse situations. Luckily, I'm always there to save her butt.

"It's true," I say and stride over next to Tris. All of the other initiates give us a wide berth, easily saying, _'its them! Not us disobeying you! Punish them!'_ Cowards.

"You throwing knives at Al just makes you look like a coward." I stride over to Eric. All eyes are on me. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" I ask.

Eric stares back at me, studying me. "Are you saying that I should be picking on you? Or your little friend over there?" He nods motioning to Tris at the mention of my little friend.

I think: Am I really strong enough to stand without flinching while knives are being thrown at me? Every one of my instincts from Abnegation, to be selfless, points toward saving the boy who sobbed last night alone in his bed with everyone to hear him. I muster up the courage to say, "Fine. So be it, then."

I turn around and walk toward Al. "Go, I got this," I say to him kindly with a light smile. Al bends down and says, "Thank you," very quietly so only I can hear.

I stand in front of the target and look straight ahead. I can see all the initiates' faces of shock, horror, or mock superiority. Before Four gets into position, Tris walks over to me and stands in front of another target.

"I got us into this. I won't let you do it alone," she says softly.

I take her hand and say, "You and that big mouth of yours; whatever will I do?" I say jokingly.

She turns to Four and says, "Well, get on with it."

Four stares at us and walks into position. I see Eric looking at me, eyebrows scrunched up. Fours hand swings back and I close my eyes. I can hear the knife launching and airborne until it sticks directly in-between mine and Tris's heads.

I exhale and open my eyes. I didn't realize that I had been holding my breath.

"You about done, Stiffs?"

Tris smiles mockingly, "Not even close."

"Eyes open then," Four says pointing the knife towards the middle of his forehead.

I understand; he's saying to focus on something. Tris must not understand because I feel her tense next to me. I focus right above Four's head as he launches the next knife which is closer to Tris this time and sticks a centimeter from her right arm.

"Come on Stiffs, let someone else have some fun," Eric mocks.

I look at him and the smug smile leaves his face and I see a little worry in his eyes. Is he worried about us? I can hardly even imagine how that could be possible. Four launches the third and final knife and it is, once again, closer to Tris.

Perhaps he is punishing her for being the first one to speak out. The knife stings the side of her ear. Did he do that on purpose?

"Alright, as much as I'd like to watch two Stiffs show more bravery than the rest of you, times up. See you all tomorrow," Eric says as he strides to the edge of the room near the door. All of the initiates walk out as I inspect Tris's ear. It's bleeding quite badly.

"I'll get some paper towels," I say to her.

"I'll be here" she says, as she looks at Four. I bet she has questions.

I am about to walk out of the room when Eric pulls my arm. He looks at me and smiles appreciatively. "Good job today, Stiff. I didn't know you had it in you. Guess I should be watching you more often... Well more often than I already am.. I should say," he says. I feel so uncomfortable, that I blurt out, "I have to go get Tris paper towels," and speed walk to the bathroom to get napkins for Tris's ear.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi guys! I decided to make this chapter in Four's POV. I love when authors do this and I hope you all like it(: It happens right after Belle leaves to go get Tris napkins for her ear; Comment, Review - you know the drill(:**

**Hope you like it(:**

**Four's POV:**

I walk over to the table and begin cleaning up. I can feel Tris's eyes fixed on me, anger in them because I threw a knife to her ear.

Without turning around, I ask, "Is your ear okay?"

"You did that on purpose," she says to me accusingly.

"Of course I did that on purpose," I say exasperatedly. She really doesn't get it that I was trying to help her.

"What the hell is your problem, Four? The entire time, you were just mocking me. You're just a coward, is what you are."

She's just about to leave before I turn around and grab her arm. She really doesn't understand how much it is that I've helped her.

I look her in the eye, "Tris I wasn't mocking you. You're friend, Annabelle, understood that. I was telling you to focus! I was reminding you that if you failed, your friend would have to take his place back!"

She immediately relaxes and looks down at her feet, obviously ashamed.

"Oh," is all she can say. Then suddenly, she looks up perplexed and confused. "You just called Belle by her full name. How did you know her full name?"

I tense up. No one here knows my real identity and it has to stay that way. My eyes drop to the floor. "Just a good guess."

Tris stares at me, eyes narrowed. She can see through my lie - just like my father always could. She continues staring, waiting for a better answer. I look back at her and hold my ground.

Annabelle is in mid step through the door when she sees Tris and I in our stand off as she says, "Hey Tris, I got some paper towels, I hope this'll - Oh! Sorry... Um should I come back or.." She trails off.

Annabelle, unlike Tris, knows how and when to keep her mouth shut and stay out of things.

"No, I was just leaving. Goodbye, Tris," I say sternly as I walk past her and give Annabelle, er Belle, a nod on my way out the door. I walk through long hallways and up to the glass building to my apartment above the Pit. I rip off my shoes and flop onto my bed and think about everything that happened.

I knew Belle's full name only because I knew her back in Abnegation. I knew each one of her brothers too. Her brother, Louis, transferred to Erudite and was one of the very few Abnegation my age I was somewhat friends with. Most my age didn't associate with me because they thought I was weird since my father always kept me in the house.

I was never allowed to do anything my father disapproved of. I never went to social events, I never was allowed to go to a friends house, and I could never stay in his and guests' presences. He was always afraid that I would ruin his image and name.

I knew of Tris, Beatrice as I knew her then, back in Abnegation too. Her father and Annabelle's fathers worked with my father, Marcus Eaton, and would come over for dinner. I never expected to see them here of all places.

Dauntless was supposed to be my refuge, my safety away from Abnegation.

They threaten my identity here. Although I want to tell Tris who I really am, I'm a little too afraid to just yet. And I think I ruined my chance after I threw a knife at her ear today. I can see it in Tris's eyes that she wants to be here, but Belle seems out of place.

She looks like she's driven for another reason. Maybe she came here for refuge too..

Her older brother, Andrew, and his best friend, Jackson, weren't ever the best people I knew. They used to sneak in liquor and get drunk.

One day, I want to know what made this sweet girl, from a perfect Abnegation family, transfer to the most dangerous faction. I drift off while I'm still thinking about the two.

Tris is, in the end, the one that stays in my thoughts and transfers into my dreams.

For the first time, in more than a year, I do not dream of my father beating me.

For the first time in more than a year, a new face, the one of a small Abnegation girl with long, blonde hair and a tattoo of birds on her collarbone, appears in my dreams.

I fall asleep with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! So someone asked in the reviews about Marlene. I know that she, along with a lot of other people, die in the books. I don't really want to kill anyone off too much, but I wanted to keep Marlene - just not with Uriah. Right before Lynn dies, she confesses to Uriah that she was in love with Marlene and I thought it'd be kinda cool to have Marlene and Lynn together. What do you guys think? Leave your comments in the reviews section (:**

The next morning I wake up with a start. I dreamt that Jackson was chasing me through the long, Dauntless hallways until I finally got to the edge of the chasm. Then I woke up.

I smell like sweat and vanilla, vanilla somehow being my natural scent and sweat from my nightmare, and decide to take a shower even though it's 5:30 in the morning and the other initiates are fast asleep. Everyone looks so peaceful in their sleep. I wonder how they can look like that and be savage monsters when they awake.

I shower quickly, an Abnegation habit that I wonder if I'll ever lose, and change into a new set of clothes - a loose, black, tank top and black leggings. I find leggings easy to move in.

It's around 6:15 when I finish getting ready and still the rest of the initiates are fast asleep. I decide to walk around since I know I will definitely not be able to sleep again.

The hallways of Dauntless vary in length, but all have the same look. Dark black walls made of blocks I don't know the material of and dark concrete floors. The hallways have strips of light that vary in strength depending on the time. Since there arn't any windows, some may say that the color scheme of Dauntless is depressing, but I think it's beautiful.

I walk for so long, I lose track of time and make my way to the cafeteria. There arn't many people there. I spot Four, Zeke, and their friends along with Eric talking to Max and a few other Dauntless not too much older than me. I walk over to the lunch line and begin piling up food on my tray. I make my way to a table near Four's and sit at the end of it.

I start messing with my food until I notice that Eric is staring at a group of boys who are looking over at me, one being overly flirtatious. The boy gets up and walks over to me and as if he had a radar Eric notices and watches intently. When the boy sits down across from me, I notice that many people are watching - not just Eric but Four and his friends, the boy's friends, and a few others nearby. "Well, I heard the first jumper was pretty but I didn't know she was beautiful," the boy across from me says. He rests his elbows on the table and is about to reach over with one hand and brush a loose strand from my face when a large hand reaches over and grabs his, stopping him.

The boy looks up in shock only to see Eric's face looking down at him.

"What the hell man?" the boy asks, clearly angry Eric ruined his chance.

"Real smooth, Jared. Stop trying to hit on the my initiates and get lost," Eric says. He sounds bored but angry at the same time. Jared gets up and walks back to his friends with a scowl on his face. I look up to see Eric following the boy with his eyes until he looks back down to see me, nods, and walks away.

How strange it is that Eric finds the need to keep an eye out for me... I look around and see Four glancing his eyes between Eric and I, until the sound of a familiar voice brings me out of my trance.

"Hey Belle!" I whip my head around to see Uriah walking up to my table with a grin. "Hey," I say back with a smile. He sets his tray down and sits across from me and notices the tension with the table behind us and asks, "Did I miss something?" with a mouthful.

"Some guy came up to me and started hitting on me and Eric told him to knock it off."

Uriah almost chokes on his food at the word _hitting__._

"Some guy was hitting on you?" he asks, clearly angry.

"Yeah that guy Jared over there," I say nodding my head in Jared's direction.

"He- he didn't do anything did he? I can take care for him for you if you want. What did he d-"

I cut Uriah off mid-sentence. "Uriah, it's fine! Eric came over here and told him to knock it off. I don't think he'll do it again."

Uriah's face immediately turns into a slight frown and I worry that he feels that I am undermining his masculinity. I reach my hand out and lay it over his across the table lightly and smile at him, "But thanks." Uriah flips over his hand and brushes it against mine, "Anytime," he says with a shy smile.

Soon the other initiates begin to pile into the lunch room and at 7:55, all the transfers walk to the training room to work on today's lesson.

"Today, we will be working on the basics of hand to hand combat and tomorrow you will be fighting each other. There are an even number of you, so all of you will be fighting,"Four says.

"We have to fight each other?" Christina asks, shocked.

Four turns around, takes two long strides towards Christina, bends down to look her in the eye and says, "Yes so I suggest you stop asking questions, Candor, and pay attention." Christina immediately closes her mouth and ceases all her questions. "First," Four begins, "we will start with technique."

"I highly recommend paying attention," adds Eric,"this training can further help you in later stages." Four starts demonstrating punches and kicks at the air first and then onto a punching bag. We each get assigned a punching bag and are expected to begin trying them out ourselves. I watch Four closely because I know this is the part I will have the most difficulty with. I don't have much muscle or brute strength. I need to learn technique.

Some initiates like Myra arn't very good; others on the other hand, like Peter for instance, have lots of muscle. I can see Peter's veins that run through his arms and all the muscle in them.

I pity the initiate who has to fight Peter.

I stop looking around and focus. I do a punch, I think what Four called and upper-cut, and send my fist into the punching bag. Less than a second later, I can't feel my hand.

Before I know it, Eric comes over to me and looks me up and down, not exactly the way most guys look at a girl, but his eyes do linger - not where you would expect. Mostly my elbows and knees. "You arn't very strong, but then again most Abnegation arn't. You have the best chances in a fight if you use your elbows and knees. You are quick though, I'll give you that. What you're going to have to do is knock out your opponent before they do any serious damage to you. Keep working, and fights shouldn't be too hard." Eric offers me a slight smile and walks away.

I try working on what Eric said. I slam my elbows into the bag multiple times until I can't feel them anymore and then work on my knees. Four comes over to me after helping Edward, an Erudite transfer who is an expert in hand-to-hand- combat, with an advanced punch.

"It seems like you understand how to use your knees and elbows, but what you should really be working on are combo's. If you know how to use them fast enough, you can win even when you don't have much muscle."

Four begins showing me a few basic combos that he leaves me to practice with. The entire rest of class I keep training on the combos until training is over. The next morning, I walk into training and see my name, along with many others, on the blackboard.

My name is across from Peter's.

I am going to have to fight Peter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Leave in the comments what you'd like to happen in future chapters. I plan on introducing a lot of the Dauntless borns in Stage 2 but tell me other things you'd like to happen! Review and tell me what you think (:**

Tris grabs my hand when she sees who I'm paired to fight with. She, unlike me, is lucky and is paired with Myra. I don't know what the heck I'm going to do. One day of training is definitely not enough for me to beat Peter.

The first pair of initiates fighting are Will and Al. They step into the ring and shuffle around each other until Will punches Al in the shoulder. Al stumbles back a foot but regains composure. They then, again, begin to shuffle until Eric becomes restless and yells, "Hurry up, Initiates! I don't have all day!"

Al and Will look at each other and then back at Eric. "When does the fight stop?" asks Will.

You can hear in his voice that he doesn't want to hurt his friend.

"The fight stops when one of you is physically unable to go one - meaning one of you gets knocked out," says Eric sounding irritated.

"Technically," Four adds,"one of you could forfeit."

"No!" Eric says with anger. "That was according to the old Dauntless Rules. Now, we go by the new ones. No one forfeits. You forfeit? Face the consequences of being a coward then."

Four rolls his eyes in irritation as Al and Will look back to each other and lift their fists to prepare for punches. They shuffle around each other a little longer until Al throws a punch to Will's head. Will stumbles backward but regains his composure quickly enough to kick Al in the side. Al is strong but slow and on the other hand, Will is averagely strong but fast.

After a few punches and kicks are launched, Al finally ends the fight by punching Will hard in the face. When Will doesn't get up, we all understand that Al made Will go unconscious.

Al's face, when Will doesn't get up, changes from relief to concern and he immediately leans over his friend in worry. "Hey buddy, you alright there?" Al asks an unconscious Will while poking him in the cheek.

Eric walks into the ring and slaps Al on the back. "Congrats, initiate! You won your first fight."

Al looks at Eric with anger in his eyes. "I won because I beat up my friend."

Eric looks at Al and says, "Don't flatter yourself. He put up a fight. Take him to the infirmary - it's down the hall to the right."

It makes sense that the Dauntless have their own infirmary. How stupid would it be if every Dauntless who got hurt had to go to the hospital over at Erudite.

After Al and Four leave to take Will, Eric goes to circle Al's name on the blackboard. Eric's face changes from its composure to sadness as he says, "Next fight: Belle Vs. Peter."

I can literally feel my heart sink.

Four and Al come back as soon as Eric says that. Tris squeezes my hand and I just now realize that she was holding onto me. It makes sense. The first fight was between our friends. I look at Tris. She nods to me and says, "Be quick. I know you can do this. Even if you can't win, no one blames you. It's Peter you're fighting anyways."

At first I feel angry because even my best friend undermines my strength but in the end I ask myself, _who am I kidding?_ Maybe if I had been trained better, I could at least put up a fight.

But no. I am the small, Abnegation girl who will be knocked out today.

I walk into the ring, trying my best to focus on the task at hand. I try to forget everything else. I am fighting one of the best initiates. Odds are, I will mostly likely lose. I need to _at least_ put up a fight.

Peter walks in shortly after me. He isn't as mean to me as he is to Tris, but he still is rude. Tris suspects it's because I'm better looking and guys go softer on cute girls. I don't think there's anything holding him back in the ring.

"Hey Stiff, try not to cry too much okay? I don't want to slip," Peter says to me with a mock grin.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, Peter. The only thing you have to worry about is how bad your face will look after this. I mean, it is already messed up, but it could get worse," I say back. Talking to him this way is like asking to be killed, but I can't let him think of me as weak.

Peter's face changes from his mock grin to anger as he sends his first punch towards my head. Luckily, I see his shoulder move before his arm arm. I know that shoulder movement is the first sign of arm movement so I duck just in time.

Peter is a combination of Will and Al. Peter has all the strength of Al and all the quickness of Will. I will surely lose. I am about to punch Peter in the stomach when his leg collides with my own with such force, I fall over yelping in pain.

"Oh Stiff, maybe if you shed a tear, I'd go easier on you," Peter says.

I grit my teeth. "Never."

I try to picture Jackson. Usually when I think of him, I can muster enough anger to get some adrenaline going. I picture Jackson's evil smiles, his eyes, his voice.

A shiver runs up my spine and I lunge for Peter's throat. This catches Peter off guard and he stumbles backward falling over until I'm on top of him. I punch him hard in the stomach - so hard the wind is knocked out of him. I am about to punch Peter's face with his fist collides with my face. I wince and fall back onto the mat.

All I see are dots everywhere. Darkness creeps at my eyelids but I don't want to give up. I'm doing so well!

I almost had him!

I try to get up when something collides with my leg sending me hurtling back down to the hard floor of the ring. I can faintly see the lights above me until another kick sends me into complete and dark oblivion.


	12. Chapter 12

When I wake up, I see a faint light and blurred images. My head throbs and I feel sore all over.

I hear a voice say, "Hey guys look! She's stirring up!"

I don't know who is here with me, but I ask in a raspy voice, "Am I dead?"

The previous voice along with a few new ones laugh. "No, you're not dead, Belle."

I flutter my eyelids in an attempt to see through the blurred images, until I can make out the faces of Tris, Al, Christina, and Will. They all are smiling at me but I can see pity in their eyes. I look around but all there is to see are rows on rows of beds. I must be in the infirmary.

I stir around. "What happened?" I ask weakly. Tris's face changes to an expression of sadness. "You and Peter were going at it pretty hard. In the end, Peter got in a few kicks and knocked you out."

Christina immediately pipes in, "Don't feel bad that you lost. He's one of the best, but you put up a good fight, kid. I don't think any of us could have taken him for as long as you did."

Al clears his throat, and we all laugh. "Okay, maybe you, Al, but still."

I painfully sit myself up and look at each one of my friends. They look awful. I remember how Will looked when Al knocked him out but the bruises from the fight have turned to a dark blue now. Christina has bruised cheek bones and a split lip. Tris has a few bruises and scratches all down her neck.

"What happened?" I ask, shocked that they look this bad.

"Uh-oh," Will says and walks over. He places his hand over my forehead and says, "Belle, we just told you what happened. Are you feeling okay? Maybe you took one too many hits-"

I cut Will off. "No! Not me, dummy, you guys! I'm fine!" I wave Will's hand away and look at them. "You think we look bad?" Al asks, jokingly. They all laugh and Tris catches me up on what happened.

"After you, Christina had to fight Molly. She got in a couple of good hits but Molly socked her one to the face-".

"And thus, the lip," Christina says, pointing to the split in her lip. "What about you?" I ask Tris. She doesn't look as bad as the rest but Tris has long scratches down the side of her neck.

"I won against Myra, but she's got nails." "Wow," I say. I didn't really expect much from Myra. Suddenly, I hear the door open. I turn my head around slowly, the ache in my neck subduing.

Butterflies fly around in my stomach when I see Uriah walking through the door. He walks up to my bed and looks at me; his face is in a grimace as if it hurts him to look at me.

Tris looks over at me and smiles. She knows this is the boy from Test Day.

"Hi," Uriah says with a grin. "Guys, this is Uriah," I say nodding towards the boy mentioned. "He's a Dauntless born."

Uriah smiles over at everyone kindly and says, "So I'm guessing you guys had to fight today, huh?"

"Yeah," Will says. "Did you guys?"

"Yeah. We do training the same as you guys. The only difference is that we do it separately," Uriah says.

"You don't look like you fought today?" Christina says, her Candor curiosity getting the best of her.

Uriah smiles and says, "You've gotta be fast to catch me." Everyone smiles and lets out a laugh-sigh but I know that they're all registering that information for Stage 2 when transfers train together with Dauntless-borns.

"Hey," Uriah says checking his wrist watch. "You might want to get going, it's time for dinner."

Tris looks at me and asks, "You sure you don't want me to stay or anything?"

"Go ahead," I say. Then Uriah chimes in with a smile, "Go on, I can take care of her."

Christina winks at me, Al and Will ruffle my hair, and Tris gives me a quick hug with a peck on the cheek. Right before she lets go, she says quietly, "Have fun," and winks.

I roll my eyes as they all leave. Once they're gone, Uriah sits down on the bed next to me.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask, truly wondering how he found me.

"I was with Zeke and Four while they were talking about how training was going. When Four said you got knocked out by Peter, I decided seeing you was better than getting Peter cooties on my fist from punching him. Stupid little Candor. He's just a pansycake is what he is."

I let out a laugh which hurts my sides, "What's a pansycake?"

"In older times, pansycake used to be a major Dauntless insult. I've decided to take up the responsibility of bringing it back," Uriah says with a smile.

I don't think it's possible to not smile around Uriah. "

Do I really look bad?" I ask him.

"Why do you ask that?"

"When you walked in, you looked like it hurt to look at me."

Uriah smiles, "Naw, I don't think you, of all people, could ever look bad." I smile at him. I can feel my heart racing. I don't know why I get so nervous around Uriah. I look at him. His skin is perfectly tan. His dark brown/black hair is growing out near his ears and falls in wisps on his forehead. Uriah is definitely stronger than any of the transfers. His muscles show through his black v-neck. I bet a lot of girls would love to date him or call him theirs...

I don't realize how long I actually have been staring with Uriah until he says, "What? Do I have something in my teeth or...?"

I snap out of my trance and look at him with fresh eyes. I smile and say, "Huh? Oh, no I just.." I try to change the subject before he can ask again.

I know I'm already blushing.

"Hows training so far?" I ask. "It's good," Uriah says shrugging. "Dauntless-borns have on-going ranks. We have them because we have more experience and are judged a little harder."

"Oh," I say, "what rank are you?" Uriah drops his head and fumbles around with his fingers. His shyness is cute. I know for sure he will most likely be top 5.

"I'm first.." Uriah says sheepishly. My head snaps up to look at him. "What?"

"I'm first," he says, this time looking me straight in the eyes.

"Uriah that's amazing!" I say, edging closer to him. I don't realize how weak I still am until I get light headed trying to reach him. Uriah's arms find me before I fall and he holds me close to him.

"You okay?" he asks lightly smiling. My hands lay on his chest and I can feel his heart beat.

It's fast.

I smile.

"I'm fine," I say lightly. "I just wish I could learn to fight better."

"I can help you, if you'd like?" Uriah offers. "Seriously?" I ask, shocked.

"Yeah, I mean we could try a little tonight, get you ready for tomorrow. But I really think you should get a littl-" I cut him off. "No, I'm fine! I just need to eat a little. Please, Uriah?" I ask pleadingly.

He looks down at me, still in his arms. His arms tighten around me into a bear hug and he says, "Sure. I'm just glad I get to spend some time with you." His face has a slight smile planted upon it.

I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him back. It feels so natural. My head fits into the crook of his neck like a key to a lock. Uriah chuckles and I look up at him, confused. "As much as I'd like to stay this way," he says,"we should probably go train." I grin widely, pleased, and let him help me up. I stand, still a little light headed and wobbly. His hands find my waist and help steady me. "You okay?" he asks. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say.

"Wait here, I'll go get us something to eat and then we can go to the training room," Uriah says. I nod and he jogs off down the hallway. I sit back on the bed, with a smile that will not leave my face. Uriah really is cute.

He returns soon with muffins in both hands. He offers me one and says, "Dauntless muffins and cake - best, food, ever." I take one and nibble a small bite off of it. "Mmmm," I say. It really is good.

When we're done, Uriah offers me his hand to help me up. When I'm stable, Uriah leaves his hand in mine, unsure if I want his there. I squeeze his hand and he smiles at me. We walk down the hall, hand in hand, towards the training room.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! This chapter is mainly Uriah and Belle. Hopefully you guys like it! Tell me what you think!(:**

"No, see your problem is that you're not covering your face right," Uriah says, reaching over and moving my arms to a stance that will protect my face better."If they hit you in the head, you're out," he says, moving back to where he was standing before and puts his arms up in defense.

If you didn't know we were just training, you'd think we were about to fight. "How do you know so much about fighting?" I ask.

Uriah shrugs. "My brother was 3rd in his class. He taught me everything I know."

"Who was first?"

"Four was first, followed by Eric, then my brother, then Shauna, and then Lauren, my instructor, followed by a few other initiates in their class."

"Four was first? Why'd Eric become a Dauntless leader then?" I ask, confused.

"Zeke says Four was offered first, but when he turned it down, Eric took it," Uriah says shrugging once again. "Come on now, enough with the questions," he says with a smile," it's time to focus."

I let out a sigh and bring my hands back up roughly to where Uriah set them last. Uriah brings his hands up too and I throw a punch to his abdomen which he blocks effortlessly. Uriah brings out his left arm and sends it close to my side. If he had actually hit me, I'd probably be on the floor catching my breath, but thank god he's only sparring with me.

I decide a kick is my best option. Uriah made up funny names for some combos to help me remember. This one, is called the Pansycake Pancake. It's where I spin around on one leg, channeling the momentum of the turn, and send my other leg right into the back part of the knee of my opponent.

Then, comes Uriah's favorite part. Once your opponent convulses from the blow, you shove your elbow into their head to knock them out. He said that when the move was complete, your opponent would lay on the floor like a pancake - hence the pancake part of the name.

I spar the move until Uriah lays on the floor and smiles back at me. "That's my girl! Now if you just keep practicing that, you can make your moves more precise. It's all about technique. If you have the right technique, and you know what to look for, you can win against anyone," Uriah says.

Whenever he gives me advice, he turns into Instructor Uriah. He becomes focused and composes his energy. It's interesting to watch.

"Maybe we should take a break?" I ask. We've been training for two hours now.

"Yeah sure, I think we should finish up with just a punching bag or something. You're definitely going to be sore tomorrow. Stretch a little; it'll help your muscles from becoming too sore," he says reaching for his toes.

I just watch Uriah. The muscles in his arm flex and I can see some of the veins that run through them. When he reaches back up, I see a small tattoo peaking out near the waistband of his jeans. "What's that?" I ask walking in his direction.

Uriah's face twists into confusion until he see's that I'm looking at his tattoo. "Oh, this little thing?" Uriah asks, as he hooks his thumb into the waistband to bend it down so the tattoo can fully be seen.

I walk over and see the full design. It's a small tattoo compared to some of the Dauntless ones I've seen. The head of a snake begins at the "V" of his abs and the curves around shortly into the waistband of his pants and can only be seen when he exposes it.

"I got it when I was like 10 or 11 after my father passed," he says, looking down. His face turns to an expression of sadness and I feel bad for asking. I walk closer towards him and say, "Uriah I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean to bring it up..."

Uriah looks up at me suddenly, "Oh! No, no it's fine. It happened a while ago anyway.. My father loved snakes so much that he had a few tattoos of them. He liked them because of the way they attack. Always said that they could teach me a thing or two, since I was always so full of energy and I never knew how to channel it," Uriah says.

His eyes are distant and I can tell that he is reminiscing of days with his father. A faint smile lingers on his face when he looks down at me. "I got it because it made me feel like I had him with me at all times. I have this one and this other one," Uriah says while he turns to the side revealing a snake tattoo that wraps around his ear and back.

"I love them," I say without even thinking about the words.

Uriah turns back to me and smiles,"Well I'm glad then. How about you? I've haven't been able to ask you about that tattoo of yours on your collar. Arn't those Tiger stripes?"

"Yeah they are," I say as I push my hair aside to reveal the tattoo. Uriah reaches with one hand and hovers his fingers over the tattoo. His big hands are, to my surprise, very gentle.

His fingers outline the stripes until they reach the bottom and he drops his hand and meets my eyes. "It's beautiful," he says smiling.

"Thank you," I say with a smile back. "I got it because Tigers roam alone or with their family in packs. I thought it represented how I left my faction to go alone and join a new one.." I felt like I had to tell him. After all, he told me about his father and I trust Uriah.

Uriah's hand slips under my chin and he tilts my head up, forcing me to look at him. "Hey, you're never alone here in Dauntless. It may seem like you're alone, but I promise I'll always be here for you no matter what. You can't get rid of me that easily," he says with a sly smile. I let out a laugh and say,"Good," as I playfully punch his arm.

Uriah laughs and says, "We should get back to training."


	14. Chapter 14

**Someone in the comments section said they wanted more Tris action, and I hope this lives kinda up to their expectation! Feel free to review and tell me what you guys want to see in future chapters! :)**

I wake up at 6:15 the next morning. This was my first time sleeping through the night without any nightmares.

I throw over my covers and let my legs hang off the bed. The chill of the room makes goosebumps appear on my arm but the cold feels good.

I got back to the dorm at 10:30 last night. Uriah helped me learn some better fighting techniques and taught me some quick tricks. I really do owe him for that.

A few of the other initiates are awake or are stirring up. I grab a change of clothes and head down to the showers. I smell like pure sweat from all the fighting last night so I decide to take a longer shower than I usually would. When I'm out and changed, I decide to work on the knotted mess I call hair.

My brown hair has grown out to 5 inches above my waist now and hangs in loose waves. I don't feel like putting it up so I take the front strands, pull them back, and secure them with a hair tie.

I hear the door open and turn to see Tris standing there still groggy from sleep. Her hair is frizzed up on one side of her head. She looks hilarious. "Good morning, Beautiful," I say jokingly. Tris makes a face at me that makes me laugh even more.

I notice that she isn't carrying a set of clothes and ask,"Are you just going to wear that outfit again or something?" Tris snaps out of her sleepiness as if she just noticed. "Oh," she says yawning,"I didn't realize."

"Want me to go grab you something real quick?" I offer. "No it's fine. I'll just wing it and hope no ones in the dorm." I laugh and leave as I say, "Good luck with that."

I walk down the hall towards the cafeteria and grab a muffin for breakfast. I don't feel like eating much, which is quite shocking considering Instructor Uriah's training last night. I walk over to my table and notice that almost all the initiates are at lunch besides Tris, Peter, Drew, and Molly. I really hope that they still arn't in the dorms..

When it's roughly 7:55, we all walk down towards our training room. Tris arrives shortly after with her arms crossed and she looks absolutely pissed.

"You're late, Stiff," Eric says.

"Well I'm here now so get on with it!" Tris snaps at him. I wonder what happened.

"Don't use that tone with me Stiff," Eric says, challengingly. Four walks over to see what all the commotion is about. I'm beginning to worry about what happened to piss Tris off this much.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it, Eric?" Tris asks. All eyes are on them. Tris's temper still hasn't cooled down as it usually would have by now.

"We don't have time for this," Four interrupts. Eric snaps out of his glare at Tris and begins.

"Today's round two of fighting. Tomorrow, we're going on a field trip. Then, we will have another day of fighting and then Stage 1 will be over. Your rankings will be posted then and the cuts for Stage 1 will be made accordingly."

I watch the other other initiates faces as they change. I know that most of us are wondering if we will be cut.. Others like Peter or Edward probably couldn't care less who gets cut as long as it's not them - which most likely won't be.

"First up, Al and Edward," Four announces as he moves towards the chalkboard. At breakfast this morning, Al seemed really down. When I asked him what was wrong, he just said he hated hurting people without motive.. I feel like he may just fake a knock out so that he doesn't hurt anyone...

Edward moves into the ring with ease while Al moves in sloppily. By the time Al brings his hands up, Edward has already launched his right fist into a punch towards Al's unprotected side. Al fumbles over and regains his composure only to face a kick to the side once again by Edward.

"Come _on,_ initiate!" Eric yells viciously.

Edward launches one last kick with brute force to Al's head. The next thing I see, is an innocent Al on the floor, knocked out cold. I have a feeling he isn't faking.. Edward and Four pick up Al and take him to the infirmary while Eric walks over to the chalkboard and circles Edward's name.

I look over at Tris, who still has a look of rage in her eyes. "Tris, what happened?" I ask quietly so no one else can hear. Tris is bouncing with anger so much that even Christina eyes her with worry every now and then. "I just want to kick their face's in. God, I just want to hurt them!" She whisper-screams to me.

"Who?"

"Them!" Tris says nodding towards the little cult of Peter, Drew, and Molly. Four and

Edward walk back into the training room as Eric announces the next fight. "Molly Vs. Tris."

Tris, still bouncing with anger, is about to walk to the ring when I grab her arm. I know that those idiots must have pissed Tris off, and considering I know her better than anyone else, I can see how truly boiled up she is. She looks at me, her rage filled eyes wide with irritation. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm just showing them not to mess with me," she says yanking her arm out of my grasp.

She walks into the ring and joins a snarl smiled Molly who greets Tris by saying, "Was that a _birthmark_ on your left butt-cheek, Stiff?" Tris ignores Molly's comment and brings her hands up. "You look like you're _twelve_, Stiff."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eric nod to them, signaling that the fight is a go.

Just as Molly is about to make another snide comment, Tris slams her elbow into Molly's jaw which sends her head snapping back. Tris takes this opportunity to kick Molly in her side to make her fall over onto the concrete floor of the ring.

Tris will definitely not be showing mercy for Molly.

Molly, bloody nosed and dazed, is about to stand back up when Tris knees her in the side and elbows her again in the head. She then grabs Molly's hair and slams her head into the floor, causing Molly to lose consciousness. From the outside corner of the ring, Four commands Tris to stop, but Tris doesn't stop. She continues kicking Molly in the side until Four makes his way into the ring and pulls Tris away.

"Tris, Stop! You've won! Just stop!" Tris finally snaps out of her rage and relaxes.

"I'm done, I'm done," she says with a sigh. Suddenly, the rage comes back into her eyes. She glares with such viciousness at Peter and Drew, they both go white.

"Let that be a warning to both of you!" Tris yells harshly at them. "Pull a freaking stunt like that again and you'll be next, I swear!" She begins screaming again at Peter and Drew. Four grabs Tris and yanks her out of the room while stares in shock as I watch Tris leave with a smile.

My best friend has guts and that's why I love her.

"Damn," Eric says, "I'm impressed. Stiff's got moves."

I smile and say to myself, "Damn right she does."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! :) The next chapter is going to be about capture the flag. Leave in the comments if you want me to add in something! Tell me what you think(:**

**Enjoy! :)**

Four returns back into the room leaving Tris to roam the halls and blow off steam. I haven't seen Tris that pissed in a long time and I know I'm going to have to have her back if she's going to want to last initiation without picking too many fights.

"Next up, Belle Vs. Drew," Eric says.

I had been so wrapped up with finding out why Tris was angry, I didn't even check to see who I was fighting. Last time, I was knocked out by Peter too fast to see some of the other initiates fight. Now, I'm walking into a blind fight..

I walk into the ring, my jaw set. I will not show signs of weakness like I did last time by getting knocked out. I run through the list of things Uriah told me to check before I fight someone.

How tall are they? Drew is roughly five inches taller than I am

How muscular are they? Drew is fairly filled out for his age. I can see new muscle forming in his biceps meaning he must be sore. I could hit him there to throw him off.

Before I can run through anymore questions, Eric nods signaling the beginning of our fight. Drew doesn't taunt me like Peter did. Instead, he brings his arms up, a little lower and more to the right than usual. He must be trying to protect his right side!

I bring my arms up just like Uriah taught me and we shuffle around in the ring. I see Drew's shoulder move and duck just in time to avoid a punch. Drew is slow to recover from the punch and leaves his right side unprotected, which gives me just enough time to throw a calculated punch towards his right abdominal side. He lets out a yelp of pain and I shuffle back before he can strike.

Drew isn't as fast as Peter, which gives me enough time to think through my moves.

He and I shuffle around. I look for a way to make it to his biceps. While in the midst of thought, I see Drew's leg swing back and block his kick with one of my own - one that Uriah would call The Pansycake Swing. For some reason, all of Uriah's move have the word "Pansycake" in them.

Drew buckles back but sends his elbow into my jaw before he falls. The force electrifies me. The next thing I know, blood is flowing in my mouth. I know I must act quickly so I launch a swift kick towards Drew's right side and he lets out another holler of pain. I send one more punch to him which knocks him out.

I back away from him, panting as if I had been sprinting, and let Four take him away. I watch as Eric circles my name.

I walk out, tired and still bleeding. On my way back to my friends, Eric comes up to me.

"Good job today, Stiff. I didn't know you had it in you to kick some ass. Nicely done," he says with a smile.

Dauntless: where you get rewarded for being a bully. But I do have to admit, learning to fight has been exhilarating. I came here to learn to defend myself and get away from Andrew and Jackson. I got just what I bargained for.

"Thanks," I say. Just as I am about to walk away, Eric pulls my arm which brings me back to where I was. He places his hand under my chin and lifts my head to inspect my jaw.

His hand is gentler than I thought it could ever be.

"Hmm. I think you should go down to the infirmary and get this checked out. Don't want it to ruin your pretty face."

I jerk back out of his grasp. Did he just call me pretty?

I get angry and back out of his grasp. Eric just raises his eyebrows.

Eric recovers quickly and says, "You can go down to the infirmary."

I nod and walk out the door.

I only got mad because Eric's actions reminded me of Jackson. I thought I got away from him and what he did. Now I realize, that running only makes me edgy.

One day, I'll get my revenge.

One day, I'll get my payback.

After the infirmary, the nurse sends me off back to the dorms with an icepack. I feel so tired and drained that I end up falling asleep.

I awake to the sound of the dormitory door being forced open and yells.

"Everybody up!" someone yells.

"Get up!" other voices echo.

I push off my blankets and look up. Eric, Four, Lauren, and a few other Dauntless are standing in the middle of the room with colorful guns.

I see other initiates stirring up. Tris has he eyes locked with Four's when Eric yells at her. "Did you go deaf, Stiff? I said get up!"

Tris snaps back to reality and gets up. She, like me, is fully clothed. Christina, is only in a t-shirt, her bare legs exposed, but she stands tall and confident. I raise my posture so I can also look as confident as she does.

"Tonight," Eric begins, "we're going to play an old Dauntless tradition." A wicked smile remains on his face that brings chills up my spine.

"Tonight," Four continues, "we play Capture the Flag,"


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! I'm soo happy because I saw Divergent in theaters yesterday! It was surprisingly good, considering movie adaptations sometimes arn't. I'm still mad that they cut Uriah out of the first movie, but it was still good! Tell me what you think! :)**

"Get dressed and meet us by the tracks," Eric finishes in a final tone.

He, Four, Lauren and a few of the Dauntless with them leave the room. All the initiates around me are pulling on pants and socks. I hate changing altogether, but it's dark enough for me to change into a sweater and pull on a pair of pants. I tie my shoes quickly and pull on a jacket.

Will and Al wait for Christina, Tris, and I. When we reach the tracks, Eric hands each one of us a gun and a pack of amo. "These darts are Neuro Darts. When, or if, they hit you, they produce the same pain a gunshot wound would for a few minutes. All in all, they hurt like a bitch," Eric says with a grimace. The face he makes brings me to the conclusion that he knows the feeling.

In the distance, I begin to see a faint light and a train whistle. "Get ready," Lauren shouts to us over the roar of the train. This may be my second time jumping on a train but I do it with more ease and confidence than my first time. Once inside, I make my way to sit next to Al, Will, Christina, and Tris. All the initiates are in one train - transfers and Dauntless-borns. We all sit in little groups that are so close, I overhear multiple different conversations.

I catch Will asks Christina if she's cold, and when she nods her head, Will puts his arm gently around her and Christina moves into him. I smile over at him, nod, and mouth, _smooth_.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Uriah smiling at me. "Hey!" I say with a smile and wrap my arms around him. His arms slide easily around me and as he asks, "How'd your fight go? I overheard Four and Zeke talking about how you got really good."

I nod and say smilingly, "Well yeah. I fought Drew and won - only because I had a good teacher." Uriah's smile becomes wider as he says in a mock seriousness, "I heard that your private instructor was like, really hot?"

"Oh, you have no idea," I say back with a wink.

A few of Uriah's friends come over. One of them is the girl I insulted at lunch on my first day with the shaved head and the other is a girl with long hair and is actually quite pretty. The girl with long hair gives Uriah a quite hug, which makes me feel jealous. Suddenly I think to myself, why am I jealous? Uriah is good looking - it shouldn't surprise me that other good looking people are friends with him.

The pretty girl smiles at me and turns to Uriah. "Is she the Test Day Girl?" she asks Uriah, who immediately blushes as I ask, "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

The girl's smile turns into a grin as she turns to Uriah and looks back at me. "So you are her!" she says excitedly.

"It would really help if someone told me why I'm Test Day Girl," I say to no one in particular. The girl with the shaved head looks at me and says in a bored tone,"When Uriah got back from school that day, all he could talk about was you. Since he didn't know your name, we decided to call you Test Day Girl."

The thought of Uriah talking about me makes me feel weightless and bubbly. Uriah looks like he's about to punch the girl with the shaved head when Eric announces loudly, "Initiates, gather around."

He turns to Four and says, "Go ahead. I'll give you the advantage of picking first, since we all know my team's gonna win."

All around me the Dauntless borns make "_Ohhh_" noises while all of the transfers stare shocked. Four terrifies us. None of us would dare say anything against him... Well, besides Eric who thinks he's better than anyone. Four doesn't antagonize Eric but instead scans us, the crowd of initiates before him. A bored look comes across his face as he says, "I want the Stiff."

Eric laughs and says, "Picking the weaklings so you have someone to beat up when you loose, Four?" "Something like that," Four says with a hint of a smile. "Which Stiff?" Eric asks. Suddenly his mockery is gone and his eyes land on me hesitantly.

Tris butts in, as always, sounding challenging and sarcastic. "We're a package deal," she says walking over to me. Four rolls his eyes as he says, "Whatever, just get up here."

Eric rages, "Hey! I said pick an initiate! Not initiates!" Four looks more annoyed than ever as he says exasperatedly, "Fine pick two then. Not my fault the Stiffs declared that they were a package deal."

Eric's eyes land on me as he looks enviously back at Four. Could Eric actually want me that bad? I mean, I'm a top transfer but even the worst Dauntless born is better than our best transfers. Eric regains his composure as he scans the initiates before him. "Peter and Edward."

"Uriah," Four says. Uriah walks over to Tris and I and nonchalantly throws his arm over my shoulders as he whispers a quick, "Hey," to me.

"Molly," Eric decides.

"Drew."

"Al," Eric says after Four's pick of Drew. It seems like Eric is picking all the initiates with brute force, although I don't know how he let Four get the best Dauntless initiate.

"Christina," Four says. They go back and fourth until all the initiates have a team. In the end, I recognize only a few people on my team - Tris, Uriah, the pretty friend of Uriah's: Marlene, the girl with the shaved head: Lynn, Christina, and Will.

"You can get off the train first," Four offers to Eric.

"No way!" Eric says, sounding arrogant as ever.

"Pansycakes get off first, so go ahead Four. Off with you and your team." Four rolls his eyes and says, "Come on," to the rest of us.

We walk in the direction of Navy Pier, an old amusement park. No one uses it anymore, besides the Dauntless I guess. It's got high towers and a big, rusty Ferris Wheel that no longer looks safe. When we arrive at the front gate, Four says, "Alright, huddle up."

We all quickly gather around in a small circle. "Eric's team is most likely going to get off and hide their flag soon, so I suggest you begin making a strategy."

"Where'd you hide it Four?" Marlene asks. "Telling you that would defeat the purpose of this, wouldn't it now?" Four replies with a smirk.

"I think we should have a defensive strategy. Wait for them to come to us," Will suggests.

"Who put you in charge, transfer?" Lynn asks rudely.

"At least he as an idea! I don't see you putting any ideas out there," Christina says irritatedly.

"Watch yourself, transfer." Lynn says in an eerie calm. Christina starts arguing with Lynn when I blurt out, "You're getting us no where, you know that right?"

They both look at me, Christina irritated and Lynn murderous.

Uriah backs me up as he says, "She's right, you know."

"Shut up Uriah," Lynn snaps. Marlene silences Lynn and turns to me.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"Like she even has an idea," Lynn snaps.

"Actually," I say with a smile, "I do."


	17. Chapter 17

**Enjoy :)**

All the initiates are staring at me as I remember a scene from my childhood. Abnegation children, until the age of full maturity, arn't required to always act selfless. Tris and I, along with a few of our neighbors like Robert and Susan all used to play a game where we'd split into teams and hide an object, one per team, that we'd find in the factionless sector of the city. I smile as I remember how Tris always used to go climb on top of her roof to scope out the other team's object and how we'd win.

I look over at her, knowing she's most likely remembering that memory from our Abnegation life together, just like me. She smiles at me and I know she's on the same page.

"Height," I say, my voice sounding more certain than I thought it would.

Lynn stares bleakly at me. "Oh look, she's too stupid to say more than one word."

Uriah shoots Lynn a murderous look and gives me an encouraging nod telling me to keep going.

I take a deep breath, but instead of hearing my own voice, I hear Tris. "What Belle was trying to say, is that the higher we are up, the more likely we are to see the other team's flag."

"So what? We should all climb a tree like monkeys or something?" Lynn asks with dry sarcasm.

"We can call ourselves the Banana Loving Tree Climbers," Will says brightly. "Have matching shirts and everything."

Christina laughs and playfully hits Will.

"Initiates, focus. Eric's team is most likely already off looking for a place to hide their flag. Now's the time to act," Four says while admiring his gun.

Everyone turns back to face me. "So what do you suggest we do, Stiff?" someone asks out of the crowd surrounding me.

I take a deep breath. "Split into three groups. Have one group find a good hiding spot for the flag and keep it safe. The other two teams should go scout out the flag for Eric's team. When you find the flag, have one team create a diversion while the other team retrieves the flag."

I hear nothing but silence as everyone takes in what I just said. Four stands watching each initiates reaction. Surprisingly, Lynn is the one to break the silence. "Not bad, Stiff." She even looks a little approving.

In the end, my group - the one to scout out a location for our flag - consists of Uriah, Will, Lynn, and myself. We decided it'd be best to have the stronger initiates with better battle tactics guarding the flag; but we sent Marlene with the group to get the other team's flag so we still had fighters out there. Tris was sent to capture the flag since she has one of the best aims.

Once the other two teams are off, my group all stares at me. "Lead the way, your highness," Will says with a wide gesture and slight smile.

"I think," I say with hesitation, "that tower over there looks good." I nod over to a tall building, that once was most likely a bell tower back in the day.

"Sure," Lynn says sounding bored. "Let's just get this night over with." We all jog towards the tower together until we reach the entrance.

"This actually looks like a good spot for our flag. Look," Will points towards a door. "There's only one way up."

"That's true," Uriah smiles at me. "Good job, Belle," and gives me a quick wink.

"Yeah, yeah, way to go Stiff. Can we get on with this, please?" Lynn barks.

_She really doesn't like me_, I think to myself.

"Okay, so maybe you two should go up and guard the flag while Will and I guard out here in the bushes and come in as back up so they never expect it?" Uriah suggests.

"That's brilliant," Will says with a smile. "Let's do this!" He and Uriah run off into the bushes and leave me alone with Lynn.

"Stop standing there like an idiot and get a move on, Stiff. We don't have all day," Lynn chides.

I ignore her and jog along side her as we go up staircase after staircase until we reach the top. I take out the flag and admire it until I hear Lynn's snappy voice say, "Hang it up, Stiff. We don't have all day."

I whirl around and face her. I can't take her anymore. "What is your problem exactly?"

Lynn looks at me bleakly. "What ever do you mean, Stiff?" she asks sarcastically.

"I don't really know what ticks you off about me. Everything I do or say, you automatically have a snide comment for it, and it's pissing me off." Lynn rolls her eyes and stares off outside one of the large windows around the bell. "Just tie the flag around the bell."

I do what she asks and admire it again. Lynn is still looking outside when I ask, "How long have you guys known each other?"

"Who Uriah, Marlene, and I? Since we were born really. Our parents were friends and we hung out a lot as kids. Used to climb the bean over in Millennium Park for fun when we were younger," Lynn says still looking outside. For some reason, whenever Marlene is involved, Lynn doesn't snap at me. She actually looks somewhat... _peaceful_?

I decide asking Lynn about Marlene is my best bet to strike up conversation with Lynn without her glaring at me.

"Does Marlene like Uriah?" I only ask because I am really curious. I do like Uriah but I don't want to act if Marlene likes him.

"What makes you ask that?" Lynn asks still looking outside.

I shrug. "She's just so pretty and you all are good friends so I was just wondering.."

Lynn doesn't snap yet. She just says with a sigh, "I'm not sure who Lynn likes. I wish I knew, actually. Then I could-"

Lynn is cut off when we both hear a voice come on the speakers through the park. "Get ready, initiates. Game starts at the gunshot," Eric says. The echo of the speakers makes his voice sound even more menacing. Lynn looks to me and says, "Get ready, Stiff."

I smile and yell over to her, "I was born ready, Lynn."

Lynn looks back at me and gives me a half smile.

Suddenly, out in the distance, we hear a gun shot.

_Let the games begin._


	18. Chapter 18

**Tell me what you think :)**

Lynn and I decided that it was best to split up windows. There are four of them total; she decided to take up the back two, facing the forest, while I take the front two facing the entrance.

My gun in poised ready with my index on the trigger, like a cat about to pounce.

Outside, far in the distance, I hear gunshots and wonder whose gun they're coming from or which people the shots are hitting - or missing. I look down and know that below, somewhere in the shrubbery are Uriah and Will. I hope neither of them get hit..

Far in the distance, I see a bright, orange triangle - which must be the other teams flag, tied to the top of an overly large tree.

I hear gunshots once again but closer; as if they were right outside. I duck and peak out of the corner of the unprotected window. An unfamiliar voice yells in pain but all that registers in my mind is that Uriah and Will are safe.

We had decided earlier that we wanted our flag to be easily seen and out in the open; but have some of the best fighters to give our rivals the fight of their life.

More gunshots are fired and I wonder how our offense is doing. I take a quick peak outside my window and see Peter, Molly, Al, and Edward advancing towards our tower.

Lynn comes over by me and I ask, "Should we fire? There's four of them and only two of us up here. Obviously Uriah and Will would come help but.."

Lynn makes an Erudite thinking face. "I bet they're waiting on your command. If we both shoot one, there would be two left, whether they'd risk coming alone is the question."

"Peter no doubt would still come and Molly's his right hand gal. Edward is an expert fighter - taking him out would be nearly impossible. Al doesn't like to use brute force, but he is stronger than both of us combined," I say.

I contemplate the decision and come to conclude, "You take out Edward, I'll get Molly. Al doesn't like Peter so fighting together would be hard for them and all the better for us."

Lynn smiles slightly and gives me a nod.

"On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

We burst out of our crouches and position our guns quickly on our targets. Lynn's shot hits Edward in the leg while my shot hits Molly in her right trigger arm. We duck back down immediately but I peer out the window to see Edward and Molly on the ground grieving while Peter is yelling at them both. Al just looks around, I guess looking for who shot.

"Do you think they'll still come?" Lynn asks.

"Peter doesn't like to back down," I say while checking for how much amo I have. I only shot once so 9 shots left.

Lynn pears out the corner and says, "They're coming!"

I sigh and say," Well they only way up is through the stairs, so obviously that's where they're coming from. Maybe we should like wait for them get up here, think it's safe and then attack?"

Lynn nods and moves to hide behind a box while I go hide behind a wall. Down below I can hear Al and Peter's footsteps. Al's are loud and sloppy while Peter's are calculated, soft, and quick. I hear Peter whisper, "Dammit Al, can't you be quieter?"

Al just mutters something under his breath. Their voices are amplified because of the echo from the metal stairs which makes them sound hilarious. I try to suppress my laughter when Lynn whisper-screams, "SHUTUP STIFF!"

I calm down just before Al and Peter make it upstairs. Al moves directly towards the flag but Peter gets his gun out. Al holds the flag in his hands and says, "I can't wait to see the team's face when I bring this back."

Down below I can hear very soft steps being taken. I hope it's Uriah and Will.

Peter suddenly looks horrified and says, "You mean when I bring it back, idiot." Peter tries to pull the flag away but Al holds on. "Let go!" Al yells at Peter. "No you let go!"

"It's mine!"

"No it's mine!"

Suddenly, I hear a different voice say, "That's enough, idiots. It's not your flag, it's ours!"

Lynn holds up her gun ready to shoot at a caught off guard Al and angry Peter. They both immediately hold up their guns and drop the flag.

Peter shoots Lynn in the leg and she lets out a scream.

I dive for the flag and try to run when Al grabs me and tries to pull it away. Peter kicks me in the side and I let out a yelp. He grabs the flag and turns to run but Lynn punches him in the jaw and he drops the flag.

Suddenly, I feel a searing pain in my leg and see I've been shot. I gasp in pain and see that Molly and Edward are standing a few feet away, up and unhurt.

Edward pulls Lynn into a tight hold while Molly walks over to Peter. Al grabs the flag and gives me an apologetic face. He is about to turn around when someone shoots him in the leg and he drops the flag while yelling out in pain.

I turn to see two figures holding their guns ready to shoot. It's Uriah and Will!

Uriah shoots Edward in the leg, who then lets go of Lynn - dropping her to the floor. Will punches Molly in the jaw and shoots Peter in the face who both drop to the floor yelping in pain. Peter, still on the floor, curses while pulling out his gunshot.

Al puts up his hands and surrenders while Will goes over to Lynn and helps her up. Uriah sees me on the floor and runs to me. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry we're late but some others from the other team came so we had to take them out too. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think Molly shot me in the leg. I didn't realize she and Edward would be up so quickly after we shot them. You're not hurt are you?" I ask suddenly worried.

Uriah smiles at me and says, "Not a scratch."

I look over and see Al still with his hands up while Peter, Edward, and Molly all weak on the floor. Suddenly over the intercoms, Eric's voice comes on and he sounds paranoid. "Game over Initiates. Winner: Four's team. Return to the tracks."

"He must be pissed!" Will says amused. Lynn smiles and props herself up.

Uriah turns back to me and says, "Can you stand?"

I pull the gunshot out and say, "Yeah, I think so."

Uriah helps me up and lets go when I look stable only to see me fall back down. He catches me before I hit the ground and says, "If you want, I can carry you?"

Over Uriah, I hear Lynn say, "Hurry up lovebirds, we don't have all night."

Uriah smiles and says, "Is a piggy back ride okay?" I smile as he turns around and pulls me onto him. I wrap my arms around his neck as he slips his arms under my legs.

He turns and looks at Peter. "Get up. I'm not carrying you."

Peter makes a disgusted noise. Lynn grabs our flag and Will, Uriah, Lynn, Al, and I make our way down the tower and walk back to the tracks.

Behind us, I can hear Edward yelling at Peter and saying how their strategy was awful. I laugh and Uriah starts walking a little ways away from the rest of the group.

He turns his head a little to the side and says, "I'm really sorry I wasn't there."

I wrap my arms around him a little tighter and say, "Still, you came."

He smiles and says, "Of course I came. I just wish I was there sooner."

He continues apologizing and I think of ways I can shut him up. "Uriah," I say and he turns his head to the side. Before he can continue, I plant a kiss on his cheek. He stops talking and grins. "You came, and now you're carrying me to make up for it. It's all good."

His smile widens and he walks back over to the group. We all walk together, back to the train tracks under the light of the moon.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for your reviews and feedback! It means a lot :)) I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a little boring but it's a transition chapter and I thought it'd be cool to have like a normal day instead of fully fighting and stuff. Tell me what you think :))**

"Today," Eric begins spreading his arms widely, "is the last day of Stage 1. Tonight, Four and I will be posting the cut for this stage. We have decided that only one person will be cut this stage. If you are the on to be cut, you can stay the night but in the morning, you must pack your things and will become factionless.

Alright, first fight: Belle and Edward," Eric says as he walks over to the blackboard. He isn't in a good mood today considering his team lost to Four's. Every now and then, I catch him glancing murderous stares in Four's direction.

I walk into the ring. Even though this is only my third time, it feels familiar. Dauntless has become my home in such a short time. It needs to stay that way. I can't lose to Edward.

A list of punches, kicks, and combos runs through my head as Eric nods, signaling the begining of the fight. Edward brings his hands up in a swift motion. It's so graceful that I almost forget to focus.

I look for weak spots. Yesterday, Edward got shot in the leg by Lynn - I should use that to my advantage. As soon as I see Edward's shoulder move to throw a punch, I duck and roundhouse kick his injured leg. Edward's cry of pain tells me that I made the right decision.

He tries to kick me but I back away just in time. I become so happy on how well I'm doing, I forget to focus and Edward's elbow comes slashing down on me and I fall to the ground.

_Think, Belle_ a voice says sternly in my head.

_Focus_

I get to my feet in one swift motion and roundhouse kick Edward in the leg again which sends him to the ground. Edward grabs hold of my injured arm and pulls me down with him as I yelp in pain.

Edward, unlike Peter, is actually a gentleman and somewhat my friend in some ways. He doesn't take advantage of the fact that my hair has fallen out of its braid and could be easily pulled on. Yesterday, he even told me good job after the game. I feel bad now for kicking him in the leg.

I'm taken out of my trance as soon as Edward kicks me fair and square in the side. I yelp in pain.

_Focus; Think_

I pull out Edward's feet from under him- which sends him falling to the ground and hitting his head. He cries out in pain.

I take advantage of his vulnerability and launch myself on top of him. My legs are on either side of his waist, pinning him down.

If you didn't know we were fighting, it would look like we were two teens just having a fun time wrestling the way couples play fight. This is anything but that.

I send my elbow into his jaw again and again. He begins to lose consciousness and fumbles around. I send one more punch to his temple and he immediately looses consciousness.

I roll over off of Edward and lie on the ground heavily panting. Four comes to help Edward up and take him to the infirmary and Eric comes to pull me up. I'm still heavily panting, even after Eric stabilizes me.

"You alright there?" He asks with more concern than I would have thought he would be capable of, considering his mood.

His eyebrows scrunch up and he looks like he actually cares.

"Yeah," I say inbetween breaths.

"Congrats," he says with a smile.

"On what?" I ask, still panting.

"You just won against one of the best initiates, Belle."

For the first time, it actually registers in my mind that I won. A wide grin comes across my face as I'm panting. Eric hands me a bottle of water and guides me over to a chair.

"Sit for a bit," he says casually. "You look like you could use it."

The rest of the fights go by as normal. Al still lets himself get knocked out, Peter kicks someone's butt, Tris surprisingly wins her fight against Drew, Christina gets knocked out by Molly, _excetera_.

After the fights, Eric says, "Alright, you're dismissed for the day. Later on, around 6:00, the listings will be up. See you all then."

PAGE BREAK

Christina thought it'd be fun to go buy new clothes while we wait for the ranks and forced Tris and I to come.

The only problem is, is that Christina's version of shopping is her trying on new clothes while me and Tris play judge. Her latest dress is black, form fitting, and a little short. Tris makes a face.

"Oh shutup," Christina says when she see's Tris's face. "What do you know about style? You're a Stiff."

"May I remind you, I am no longer a Stiff as much as you are a Candor loud mouth?" Tris says matter-of-factly.

Christina makes a _Whatever You Sa_y face at Tris and looks at me. "What do you think?"

"She's just as much as a Stiff as I am!" Tris protests.

Christina looks at Tris and laughs, "At least Belle has style! You still dress like a Stiff."

It's kind of true. Tris still wears baggy clothes as much as possible even though they are in the Dauntless color scheme.

"Maybe we should be helping you shop," Christina says.

Tris makes a face like she's about to make a break for it.  
Christina and I exchange a quick look and have a protesting Tris within our grasp in a matter of seconds.

Tris tries to wiggle out of our hold but Christina manages to lock Tris in a dressing room full of dresses. "You don't get to leave until you try every single one on and buy at least three."

I start laughing and look out the windows of the store to see a tall, tan boy with black hair as he passes by. Before I know it, I'm walking out of the store on his heels as Christina shouts something at me that sounds like, "Where the heck do you think you're going?!"

I catch up to him and tap him on the shoulder. The boy spins around and I see that I was wrong. It wasn't Uriah.

"Hey Belle," Zeke says to me with a grin. Although I wish he were Uriah, I still like being around Zeke. He has this calm, fun aura to him.

"Hey sorry I thought you were Uriah," I say shrugging.

"Ouch," Zeke says touching his heart.

I let out a small laugh at his joke and he smiles.

"If you're looking for Uriah, I bet he's in the lunch room. Come on, I'll walk you."

Zeke and I walk through the hallways together, me laughing while Zeke tells me a story about Uriah when he was younger and how he'd cry when Zeke ate the last slice of Dauntless cake.

When we walk into the cafeteria, I sit across from Zeke at the table he leads me to as he sits next to Four. Four looks up at me and then at Zeke, eyebrows raised.

"Don't worry," Zeke says with a mouthful of hamburger, "she's cool." Four nods and gives me a half a smile. I return the smile and wish Tris were here. This could have been her chance to talk to Four out of training instead of sneaking quick peaks at him during training when he isn't looking.

To my disappointment, Uriah doesn't show up to dinner. Lynn claims it was because he had a headache and said he'd eat later. Still, dinner goes on with Zeke telling ridiculous stories. I meet some of Four and his other friends like Shauna and get to know Lauren better. When I go to dump my tray, Shauna comes up to me.

"So Zeke tells me that Uriah likes you."

"So I've been told," I say with a smile.

She laughs, "Oh trust me, he does. The way he talks about you, it's like he can't get you off his mind. It's sweet."

My smile becomes even wider.

"Zeke and I have been dating since we became Dauntless. He and Uriah are good guys." She says with a smile in Zeke's direction.

I guess that she must be doing Uriah a solid by putting in some good words about him like I've been doing for Will with Christina.

I smile. "Yeah, Uriah's great. Super cute, too."

She grins, obviously happy that she can give Uriah some good news.

When I walk back to the table, Four is getting up and turns to me. "Eric said he posted the rankings, so you can go see them now if you want. I have to go supervise anyway, so I can walk you."

I nod and let Four guide me out of the cafeteria. While we're walking, he tells me a little about how rankings are determined and even says, "At first, I have to admit, I thought you'd barely survive. You actually have done way better than I expected." He even sounds admiring.

"Thank you." I say. Four actually isn't bad. I approve of Tris's secret crush on him, though she won't even admit it to me.

I walk in to see most of the other initiates gathered around something in the corner of the room that I can only reason is the blackboard. I push my way through the crowd to see what rank I am, only to be astounded.

1. Peter  
2. Belle  
3. Edward  
4. Molly  
5. Drew  
6. Christina  
7. Will  
8. Tris  
9. Al  
10. Myra

Four really wasn't kidding on how well I'm doing.

Edward comes up to me and slaps me playfully on the back, "Good job, Belle," he says. He even sounds genuine considering that I gave him a few bruises today.

After a few more, _Good Job'_s and_ Way to Go's_, Eric silences us. "Tomorrow begins Stage 2. Get a good night sleep, initiates. If you thought Stage 1 was hard, well, let me just say this. Stage 2 is the stage when most initiates drop out."


	20. Chapter 20

"So what do you think we do in stage two?" Christina asks aloud to no one in particular as we walk down the hall towards the training room.

"On the first day, I think Four said Stage 2 involved something about mental capability," Will says.

"Well, Eric said this is the stage when most initiates drop out. If this is harder than Stage 1, then, well crap," Al says with a grimace.

We walk altogether in a group down the hall - Will and Christina unusually close, Al trying to tell Tris a story while she nods pretending to listen, and me walking by myself.

When we finally reach the training room, I see that most of the transfers are already gathered around Four.

At exactly 8:00, Four clears his throat to get our attention. He doesn't have to wait long. Although Four seems less menacing outside training, he's still my instructor - who just happens to scare the crap out of me.

"Alright initiates, listen up. From now on, Dauntless borns and transfers will be training together. Lauren already took her group down to the Sim Room so that's where we're gonna head down to now to start training."

"What's the Sim Room?" Christina asks.

Four makes a face that most people make at the Candor, like _go figure its a Candor speaking out, again._

"The Sim Room is where mostly all of Stage 2 training takes place."

"What does 'Sim' stand for?" Will asks.

Four makes another face - Erudite's always curious to learn.

"You'll see."

We walk down hallway after hallway single-filed until we reach a dead end hallway and turn left into a small room labeled **SIM ROOM**.**  
**

The room is fully white - white walls, white tiled floor and benches built into the walls for us to sit on. I scan the room and see, as Four said, the Dauntless borns are already here.

I see a few familiar faces like Lynn, Marlene, and Uriah but I also see some unknown faces - a girl with black spiked hair with purple highlights, a boy with his ears pierced all the way down the side and a shaved head with designs done in, and a few others.

They all look tough. Thank goodness Stage 2 doesn't involve physical combat.

Marlene nudges Uriah when she sees me and he looks up and smiles when his eyes land on me. I give a small wave and Tris pushes me forward with a smile and whispers, "Go talk to him!"

Christina gives me a little wink as I walk down to Uriah.

"Hey," he says with a smile and pats the empty seat next to him between him and Lynn, motioning me to sit next there.

I take the seat as I hear Marlene whisper to Uriah something about putting his arm around someones shoulders and I can feel my cheeks blush.

A few seconds later, the transfers sit down across from the Dauntless bench. I notice that I'm the only transfer on this bench and feel nervous.

Uriah must notice how nervous I am because he scoots a little next to me, our arms next to each other, and says, "Don't worry, Zeke told me that Stage 2 is mostly simulations. Learn to face our fears and how to act accordingly in situations."

I nod. I wonder what fears I will have to face. A shiver runs through me as I think about Jackson and Andrew. I hope this will just be over fast.

Uriah moves closer to me, our sides pressed against each other and his heat radiates off onto me.

"Better?" he asks with a small smile. I realize that he must think I'm cold but knowing he's there does make me feel a little better. I smile at him and nod a little. "Yeah, thanks."

He smiles again at me and I notice that a lot of the transfers across from us are staring. I can feel my cheeks get hotter as Uriah looks over and notices too.

Peter leans forward, "Which one of you is first?" he asks rudely.

A small smile comes on Uriah's face as he leans forward, puts his elbows on his knees and says, "I am."

Peter narrows his eyes as he says, "I bet I could take you."

Uriah suddenly changes. The small smile that was on his face before vanishes as he stands up, shoulders broad and he looks really tough - not like the sweet guy I thought I knew.

I try to pull him back but someone pulls me back down instead. I look over to see Lynn holding me arm. "Don't. This is how it's like in Dauntless. Uriah doesn't like to be challenged, and I highly doubt they'll fight right here. Plus, that Candor may think he's better but Uriah could easily kick his ass."

"I'd like to see you try, Candor," Uriah says. From where I sit, I can see the muscles in Uriah's arms and back. Compared to Peter, Uriah is definitely more in shape.  
Peter is about to stand and take Uriah's challenge when Lauren and Four walk back in.

"Uriah sit down," Lauren says sounding bored. Four just gives Peter a murderous glance and Peter does the same.

"Good," Lauren says as the boys take their seats.

"You alright?" I ask as Uriah sits back down next to me.

"Yeah, I just hate him," Uriah says relaxing back into his position next to me.

"How about we give the transfers the honor of going first?" Lauren says to Four who simply nods.

"Alright, we're going to go in order of rank. Peter you're up first."

Peter squares his shoulders and walks back into the room with Four.

The door closes and Lauren leaves the room saying, "Tell Four I'll be back in a little."

We all sit quietly until Edward asks, "Whose second?"

Lynn squirms a little next to me and says, "I am and I'm guessing you're second since you're asking."

Edward shakes his head and looks at me.

"I'm second," I say as I turn and look at Lynn.

She looks at me, first shocked. Then she looks amused as she slaps me on the shoulder. "Way to go, Stiff."

I smile at her and look at Uriah who's also smiling at me.

We sit in silence for another 15 minutes until the door opens.

Peter walks out, eyes crazed and his hair looks like a birds nest. I can faintly see that he's shaking as he leaves the room. I wonder what the sims are like, if they can make even Peter shake.

Four looks at me and says, "Come on Belle."

Uriah offers me one last smile as I get up and follow Four into the room.

He closes the door and gets a syringe out of the box.

"Make yourself comfortable."

I walk towards the orange chair in the middle of the white room and sit. It's plush velvet and feels cozy. For a moment I forget I'm in Dauntless until a voice brings me out of my dream.

"Alright," Four begins as I open my eyes.

"What's that?" I ask at the needle in Four's hands.

"This contains something similar to the Aptitude Test simulation serum, except it is 10 times stronger. It has different chemicals that make the hormone that produces fear act up. Each serum has transmitters linked with that computer," Four says as he gestures towards a few monitors,"that will form an image so I can see what you see."

I nod and begin to shake as I contemplate what I may have to face. Four sticks the needle into the side of my neck, and surprisingly I don't fidget.

My vision becomes blurry at the sides and I hear Four's voice far in the distance say, "Be brave, Stiff," as the darkness takes over.

When I open my eyes, I'm in my Abnegation living room. It's dark and but a small amount of light from the Moon through my window allows me to be able to see.

I wonder what could possibly here happen when a figure moves out of a dark corner. I see familiar brown hair, not like my brothers, but the kind I've learned to hate. The figure is lean and wears Abnegation slacks. He has his hands in his pockets when he fully turns and the light shimmers on his face.

I can feel my heart sink.

He smiles darkly.

"Hello, Annabelle."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter. I kind of wanted Four to be a little more sympathetic and like caring but that's just me. Tell me what you think :))**

It shouldn't surprise me that he's my fear but still my heart beat is so loud that I wonder if Jackson can hear it. When he smiles, his teeth are no longer squared off but now are as sharp as fangs.

He stalks closer to me very slowly, like a predator. His eyes rack up and down my body he grins.

I look down to see that I'm no longer in my black, tight Dauntless clothes. Instead, I'm in my old Abnegation clothes. Loose and warm.

"Hmm," Jackson says as he moves closer to me. "You're awfully covered up. Maybe we should take off some of those clothes of yours. What do you say, Belle?"

Before I can say no or run, Jackson strides over to me and his arms are tightly around me. He pushes me against a wall. One of his arms holds me in place as the other moves across my body.

I can feel wetness on my cheeks and I barely manage out a, "No."

He looks at me, eyes full of rage. "What did you say?"

"No," I say again. My voice is small, terror coursing through my veins.

Jackson slaps me across the face and says, "You'll obey me. Just like you always do, you filthy little b-" His hand is about to smack me again when my training kicks in. Everything moves slowly as the adrenaline of a fight begins to course through my veins.

I duck and kick him in the knees. Jackson staggers back after pulling his hand out of the wall, more rage in his eyes. I wipe my tears away as I scream, "Get away from me!"

For a moment nothing happens. Then out of the darkness, more Jackson's appear. Their eyes are black as night and a sadistic smile comes across their faces. They stalk towards me slowly, menacingly.

"This can't be happening," I whisper to myself. Then something in my head clicks.

This _really_ can't be happening. There's only _one_ Jackson and he lives in _Abnegation_. I'm in Dauntless. I _must_ be dreaming!

I wish I had something to hit him. All I want to do is hurt him now that the fear is gone and I know nothing bad can actually happen to me.

Suddenly, in my hand, I feel something cold like metal. I look down to see a crowbar in my hand. My terror is replaced by adrenaline.

I smile. "No. I won't obey you. I should've done this a long time ago," I say as I bring the crowbar up behind my head. I launch myself towards the first Jackson I see and hit him with full force and immediately, a spark of white light goes through the room and I open my eyes gasping for air.

It takes me a second to realize where I am. First I see a white roof and white walls. I look a little further down to see Four. His eyes lock with mine and the first thing that goes through my head is that Four saw what just happened.

My eyes burn and everything becomes blurry. I can't cry in front of Four. I look away and bite my lip, trying to stop the tears. They overflow and trickle down my checks. I can hear Four walking around the room and suddenly, he crouches in front of me. He offers me a tissue. I take it and instead of using it, I crumple it up in my hands.

Four looks at me. "You know, most people blow their noses in tissues."

I let out a little laugh, which becomes muffled by a sob. I stop myself and bring my legs up to my chest and pull my head down.

Silent sobs rack my body. Suddenly, I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. "It's over, Belle."

I bring my head up to look at Four. His eyes are full of pity. "You saw," I croak.

Four nods slowly. "May I ask you something?"

I nod wiping away tears. "Sure," I croak out, again.

"Was that Jackson Nichols?"

My head snaps up at Four. I narrow my eyes. Images float through my mind of Jackson. I begin shaking. I manage a slight nod.

Four bends down to my level and looks at me. "Belle, it's okay. It's over. He's not here."

Sadness creeps over me. "I guess I fail, huh? I can't even keep it together and it's over."

Four straightens and narrows his eyes. "You think you failed?" He asks bemused.

I look up at him, tears still flowing. "Do you see me? I lost it! I'm still loosing it!"

Four shakes his head. "How long do you think you were in there?"

"An eternity? I don't know." I say sarcastically.

Four shakes his head and a small smile comes on his face.

I look at him incredulously. "You think this is funny? You're just as sadistic as Eric! I should've known!" Anger courses through me and the tears stop.

Four snaps his head up at me. "I'm nothing like Eric," he says, surprisingly calm. "I'm smiling because you did better than average. Sim's are ranked by the time it takes you to wake up out of your fear. It took Peter 25 minutes. You took 4 minutes to wake up."

My eyes widen. "I was only in there for that long?"

Four's lips curve up at the corners. "Yeah. It may seem like forever, but that's how it is for everyone."

I sit back. The tears stopped coming but my vision is still a little blurry.

"How do you know Jackson, Four?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"I heard he was trouble. I just didn't know he.." Four trails off. His eyes look at me sympathetically. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

I nod. "Me too."

Four pulls up a chair across from me. "Four?" I say, my voice small.

"Hm?" he asks.

"Can you... Can you promise to keep that a secret..? I.. No one.. knows. Besides Tris. My parents don't know. No one knows besides you two.. and..." tears begin to threaten me again. "One of my brothers.."

Four's head snaps up. He looks at me. "What?"

My lip quivers. I sigh raggedly. "One of my brothers, Andrew, was Jackson's best friend. He threatened me if I told anyone."

More tears trickle down my cheeks. To my surprise, Four wipes away one of the tears. "Will you promise me something?" he asks. He sounds sad but at the same time determined.

I look up at him.

"If you ever get the chance, beat the daylights out of them. Hell, I'll even help you."

A small smile comes across my face as I nod.

Four turns around to input something in the computer and I hear him mutter, "Maybe you can get the justice I never did."


	22. Chapter 22

"_Hmf_," is the only sound I've heard for the past forty minutes as my fist meets the punching bag again and again.

I didn't know where to go after the simulations, and I knew the only other initiate done for the day so far was Peter, whom I'm not too fond of, so I decided to come the training room.

For most of the other initiates, this place was their Hell. For me, it was where I excelled and it gives me the strangest sense of peace.

I'm still a little shaken up about the sim. It made me realize that no matter where I am, somewhere out there, Jackson will be too. I'm never going to be safe anywhere. The only thing that will keep me safe, is myself.

I continue practicing punches, kicks, and combos for roughly another two and a half hours in peace when I hear the doors squawk open, but I don't care enough to turn my eyes away from the punching bag.

I can hear loud voices shift into a softer mumble which I assume happens once they notice me.

"Stiff, what are you doing here?" a deep voice asks, clearly male. He doesn't sound mad so I turn around only to see Eric and a few others - Shauna, Zeke, Lauren, and Four.

I shrug. I'm not really in the mood to talk to anyone right now. The only person who would remotely understand, is Tris. But she's most likely with Christina, considering she hasn't tried finding me yet.

Four moves forward. Unlike Zeke and Shauna, I can see a little sympathy in his eyes. A rush of relief comes over me as I confirm that Four has kept his promise to not tell anyone about my fear.

"You okay, Stiff?" Eric asks again. I probably look like a mess, and considering I skipped lunch, I must look sick.

"I'm fine," I say, my voice more calm now that I've stopped pummeling the punching bag. "Do I need to leave the room? Because I can if you need me to."

Eric makes a face, almost like he doesn't want to say what he has to. His head cocks to one side, almost admiringly as he says, "Sorry Belle."

"No it's fine," I say as I gather up my things. I nod slightly to Four and offer a slight smile towards Zeke and Shauna on my way out.

The hallways are much cooler than the training room was. The cold air hits me flat in the face and on my bare arms, but it feels good. I don't know where to go.

I start down the hallway when I hear, "Stiff!"

I turn and see Lynn running towards me to catch up with one hand stretched out as if I might run away and she'll have to catch me.

"Hi Lynn." I didn't know she was found of me enough to try to talk to me.

"Hey! A lot of people have been looking for you. Tris was trying to find you and so was Uriah. Where've you been?"

I shrug. "I needed to blow off some steam so I just went to the training room."

"Still shaken up about the sim, huh?"

"Am I the only one?" I ask. Surely facing your worst fears has to scare more than just me.

"No. Most people who have to face a really bad fear usually have less fears than people who face lighter fears."

"Oh," I say. "You don't seem so down."

Lynn shrugs. "Mine wasn't too bad. It was just everyone leaving me, but when I'd ask them why, they'd look at me like a didn't belong."

I narrow my eyes at Lynn. Her cheeks get a little red, but she grimaces. "You're afraid of not being accepted for who you are?"

Lynn's eyes widen a little as she nods.

I cross my arms and look at her. Her cheeks got red, so she must be embarrassed about something but at the same time she looked like she was in pain.

"What could possibly be wrong with you, Lynn? You kick ass at training and your definitely Dauntless. How can you not fit in?" I ask, truly bewildered.

"I.. I don't know," she stutters as her cheeks become red again. I know she can't be that embarrassed about her fear considering it wasn't even embarrassing.

I narrow my eyes at her. I don't know Lynn all the well, and I didn't know that she could keep up conversation with me this long without calling me stupid.

I think back to every conversation we have had together. Most were battle strategies. The only ones that were remotely about herself involved Marlene and Uriah. Whenever Marlene was involved in conversation... Lynn didn't snap at me...

"_Oh_," I say finally getting it. "You... Like Marlene?"

Lynn's eyes get wide and tears form in her eyes. "Shut up, Stiff. You... You don't know what you're talking about, so just.. Just shut up." She looks down and away from my gaze.

I walk a little towards her and place my hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly, she doesn't move away. "I'm not judging you, Lynn."

She looks at me, eyes filled with tears. "Does your family know? You could always tell your sister, Shauna."

She shakes her head and wipes away some of her tears. "No! What if she doesn't love me anymore. I can't tell her or - or anyone. What if Uriah and Mar found out. What if they left me?" She asks, her voices cracking at the end.

"Lynn," I say as I pull her into a bear hug. She resists at first, but ends up giving me resistance. "Uriah and Marlene love you. So does your family, I'm sure."

"I want to tell Marlene, but what if she got totally creeped out?" She sobs out.

"Maybe you should tell her how you feel, Lynn. You're never going to know unless you try."

**Lynn's POV:**

My hands are shaking on the railing of the roof as I stand gazing out at what lies ahead of me. I asked Uriah to tell Mar to meet me on the roof at 5:00. I check my watch.

**5:03 **it reads. Maybe my confession to the Stiff was broadcast to the whole world and now Marlene doesn't want anything to do with me.

_Don't be stupid, _I say to myself_. _Mar's just late.

I can't believe still that of all people to find out first, it was the _Stiff_. She put it together faster than my own family. I wonder how she wasn't cut out for Erudite - not that she isn't fitting in fine here with the Dauntless.

I hear the door open and spin around to see Mar. She's dressed in tight black pants and a loose fitting black tank-top. Her long, brown hair falls in waves. She looks amazing. I can feel my heart beat faster.

"Hey, Lynn," she says walking over to me. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," I say. My voice cracks and I have to clear my throat. I sound like when Uriah went through puberty.

"I just know how much you like sunsets, and I thought, well I don't know we could watch this one or something.."

Marlene smiles. She walks over next me to and leans forward on her hands which are pressed against the railing. The sun's already begun its descent down towards the horizon.

The tall skyscrapers cast elongated shadows and a beautiful orange light takes ahold. Everything looks peaceful.

I turn and look at Marlene, whose smiling. She looks so ... amazing. She's beautiful. Not like most girls who slap on makeup. Mar is natural. She's sort of like the Stiff. Although I hate to admit it, Belle is gorgeous, even without makeup - but she doesn't show it off or even care for looks. After I noticed that, I actually started liking her as a friend.

But Mar is the only one that I've ever felt like this about. When we got to the age where we were supposed to like guys, Mar got so many offers that she'd even ask me to go on double dates with her. At first it worried me that I never liked any guys. I thought maybe I just wasn't ready.

Then, one night I had a dream about kissing Mar and I understood. I still freaked out though.

Mar turns to look at me. "It's so beautiful," she says with a smile. Our arms are touching and I notice how close we are.

"Mar," I start knowing that if I don't say it now, I never will.

"Hmm?" she asks.

"I have to tell you something."

"What's that?" she asks, concerned. Her eyebrows scrunch up and she looks adorable.

"I.. I think I might be in love with you.."


	23. Chapter 23

_I really hope you guys like this! Tell me what you think((:_

**Lynn's POV:**

"I.. I think I might be in love with you.." I blurt out.

As soon as I say it, a weight that I didn't know existed, is suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I let out my breath. Whatever I just said can never be taken back.

I brace myself for Marlene leaving me like in my fear landscape. When I told Belle about it, I made it seem like it wasn't bad, just to seem tough. Truth is, I had a mental breakdown in the corner afterwards. I can bear anyone besides my family, Uriah and Marlene leaving me.

_Please don't leave me_, I think in my mind.

I can feel sobs coming. I close my eyes and inhale sharply to try to take back all my tears. I've only ever cried in front of my family and my two best friends. If it was anyone else, I would beat them senseless for just looking at me.

I open my eyes and see Marlene standing in front of me. There are tears trickling down her cheeks. I want to hold her so bad and apologize for everything. Just tell her it will all be okay. Just comfort her - but instead I hold myself back. I'm the reason she's crying.

Finally, Marlene snaps out of her trance. "What?" she asks breathlessly.

I knew that her response wouldn't be like_ I love you too_, but I wish it was _anything_ but _that_. I knew she wouldn't feel the same way. _How could I have been so stupid._

I wipe away tears. "Marlene I'm so sorry. I just.. I love you. Ever since you started dating, I always thought there was something wrong with me because I never liked a guy. I thought maybe it was a weird phase and I'd come around. After every single date I forced myself to go on, I'd always wait to come home and tell you about it. I thought of you. When I was on a date, I'd think of how I'd have to tell you something, and I just couldn't wait to get back to you. Marlene, I've never felt like this about anyone. I've waited years to tell you at the right moment, I just never knew when. I've always loved you, Marlene. It's always been you."

I gasp in as another sob takes over. I wait wiping away tears. Marlene just stares at me shocked.

I continue. I've gotten this far, I might as well tell her everything. "Marlene, you were the reason of my fear in my sim, you know that? I was afraid to tell you and you'd never accept me."

Marlene's mouth parts. She looks taken aback. I probably went too far, but I couldn't stop after getting so far. I needed her to know.

"Marlene, I wanted you, no I needed you, to know that." I say. I start walking towards the door of the roof, when I feel something holding me back.

I turn and see Marlene holding my arm, keeping me from reaching the door.

I turn around to fully face her.

Her eyes are glossy and her cheeks are blushed with red.

Marlene takes a step towards me, closing the distance between us. Her face is only an inch away from mine. I take a shocked breath.

Marlene's shaky hands envelope my face on either side. She tilts my head down a little so I can't look away. I place my hands on her arms, steadying myself.

She breathes raggedly from her crying. Slowly, she raises onto her toes so she can reach me. I take a shocked, sharp inhaled breath as I understand what's going on. At the same time, Marlene's lips find mine.

**Belle's POV: **

I stare at myself in the mirror of the bathroom. I look better than when I did before my shower but the physical strain of the simulation still shows on my face no matter how hard I try to mask it. I feel a little jittery but most of my steam was blown off in the training room. Now I just feel drained but edgy.

Suddenly, as I'm fixing my hair, the bell for dinner rings. _Well, what better way to get over the day than by eating food?_

I start toward the door to leave the bathroom when it opens before I can reach it.

"Belle! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Christina squeals.

I look from her to Tris, who looks at me inquisitively, obviously wondering about the simulation.

I offer a smile and say, "Oh you know, just here and there really."

Christina shrugs. "Well, since we found you, we might as all well go down to the cafeteria."

"Yeah sure," I say following them out.

We walk down the dark, low lit hallways that I've come to love all while Christina updates me about her and Will.

"I don't know where it came from! When I walked out after my sim, Will was just waiting there for me and we went out to the railroads together and then we walked along, right? And then he just kisses me! But then afterwards, we just talked like nothing happened! Well, until I kissed him! But it was just, sooo cute!" she says with a wide smile.

I smile at her, "I'm really happy for you."

She squeals again and turns to me. "Okay, enough about me! What's up with you and Uriah!? He's totally into you, and may I mention how mega hot he is? Are you guys, you know?" she asks cocking an eyebrow.

"Are we what?" I ask, finally into the conversation.

"You know! _Dating_?"

"Oh," I say.

"_Well_?" she asks. She's so persistent. _Candor._

"We haven't really talked about that..." I say, hoping she'll drop it.

"He's hot. You should totally go for him. Not that he isn't already head over heels for you. Like when you went for your sim, he didn't take his eyes off you! Oh and may I mention how hot he looked when he got mad at Peter? But don't worry, he's all yours," Christina says waving her hands around. "I like Will."

We walk up and down a few more hallways until we reach the cafeteria. We walk together as a unit to our table. At one end sit Al and Will. In the middle is Uriah, who motions me to sit next to him. I sit in between him and Zeke, who playfully pokes my sides.

Next to Zeke is Shauna, then Four and Lauren.

"Hey, where'd you go after the sim," Uriah asks as he snatches the last hamburger on the tray away from Zeke.

"Who? This one?" Zeke asks pointing at me. "She was beating the crap out of a punching bag when we found her."

I roll my eyes. "I went to the training room to blow of some steam is all."

Uriah moves closer to me and says quietly, "Sim's can be hard. I know. But um, if you ever want to talk about something, I'm always ready to listen."

I smile at him and move closer to him. Uriah slides his arm around my waist and pulls me closer.

Uriah looks down at me and smiles.

"What is it?" I ask confused at what he's smiling at.

"You look beautiful," he says still lightly smiling.

I smile at him, and say with a flirty smile, "You're pretty cute yourself."

He laughs and I poke him in the chest.

He smiles at me again, as he already has a million times. He leans down and it takes a second before I understand what's happening. But instead I tilt my cheek up as his lips find my cheek.

"_OOOH_," Will says. Al elbows him and they start laughing. Zeke makes inappropriate gestures at Uriah who reaches over to smack his brother. Four just watches with a slight smile, obviously suppressing him his laughter, although I keep catching him looking at Tris.

Shauna and Lauren just laugh. "Uriah finally grew a pair," Lauren says. Everyone laughs again, besides a red-cheeked Uriah who says, "Got more than Zeke."

Zeke starts smacking Uriah around me who hits him back all the while I'm in the center uncontrollably laughing.

I feel happy again. I feel safe.

Suddenly, Tris says, "Belle," so angrily, everything at our table seise. Everyone stares at Tris. "What's wrong? I ask, worried. Tris barely ever looks so angry. That last time she was that mad was when I called her the night before we transferred and the day she beat up Molly.

I follow her line of sight until I see what - no _whom_ - she's looking at.

My heart drops and it feels as though all the body heat from me is drained.

Walking into the Dauntless Cafeteria is a lean, tall guy in Abnegation slacks and grey sweater with brown hair. The person I hate the most.


	24. Chapter 24

Jackson is escorted in through the cafeteria by two Dauntless. If it weren't Jackson, I might have even laughed at the sight of one Abnegation surrounded by a sea of black.

I can feel my hands begin to shake. Tris's hands ball up into fists. I see out of the corner of my eye that Four is leaving and I catch him say to Lauren, "I'll meet you later."

Uriah notices that I'm shaking and asks, "You alright?"

I look up at him. How could the moment have gone from being so perfect to this?

Tris looks at me. "What the hell is he doing here?". Everyone at the table is focused on Tris and I's conversation. Why do these people have to be here right now?

"I don't know or care. I just want him out."

I grab a fork off the table as one of the Dauntless, who just happens to be Eric, approaches my table while the other keeps Jackson a little ways away.

Everyone in the cafeteria is watching me. It's not normal for a member of a different faction to enter a different faction's compound.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I ask Eric. The fork is tightly gripped in my hand.

"He just said he had to talk to you. He was persistent too. I told him to come back on visiting day, but he said it was urgent. I wouldn't let him in, but he mentioned Mr. Hightower's name, so I'm guessing he's important."

"What does my father have anything to do with this?" I ask, truly bewildered. Would Jackson actually lie so much just to come here, into Dauntless, to threaten me?

Eric's eyebrows raise up. "Your father is Mr. Hightower?"

I guess I should've left that part out. Everyone in the cafeteria has quieted down so much that I'm guessing everyone can hear my conversation with Eric. I look over to my table. Everyone looks shocked. Uriah's eyebrows are so high up that I can barely see them past his bangs. Everyone but Tris looks surprised.

Tris walks over to me, butter knife in hand.

I turn back to Eric. "Got a problem with that?"

"No, I just.. I just didn't know." He says. For once, Eric actually looks caught off guard.

"Well, what does he want?" Tris asks jerking her head in Jackson's direction.

"He just wants to talk to you, Belle," Eric says motioning the Dauntless guard with Jackson to bring him forward.

I feel like I'm about to barf. The only point of transferring was so that I'd never see his face again, but yet, here he is.

Jackson has his hands clasped together in front of him like a polite, innocent Abnegation. Only Tris knows what those hands are capable of.

Jackson steps forward, flanked on either side by Eric and the other Dauntless guard.

"What do you what?" I ask as rudely as I can.

Jackson's eyebrows shoot up, as if to show how hurt he is. But I know he feels nothing. Jackson's like an actor. He can fake emotion to those he doesn't want to know who he really is; cunning, sadistic, and an excelent liar.

"I just came to see how you were doing," he says, still composed.

He reaches out his hand to caress my face. Rage builds inside me. I grab his hand and twist his entire arm causing his to yell. "Ow! Oh god, Annabelle, let go!"

I smile. If I move a little to the side, I could fracture his shoulder.

"Annabelle, this isn't like you to do this!" he says still in pain.

I will remain composed, I tell myself. Everyone is watching. I can't loose my calm now.

"Your right," I say, rough but steady. "It isn't like Annabelle to do this kind of thing. But I'm not Annabelle anymore, Jackson. My name is Belle. Now get out or I'll break your shoulder."

Eric and everyone else in the room look at me like their shocked.

I let go of Jackson and take a step back.

"Annabelle, stop acting like that," he says, still composed.

I have to break his composure. I want to hurt Jackson, but not in a way that he can fix himself. I want to ruin his image. I want to expose him for who he really is.

"What? You afraid that I'm going to tell, Jackson? Tell all you dirty secrets?" I ask. I know that will get under his skin.

"Annabelle, stop that," he snaps. Good, I'm getting there.

"You know maybe you should try picking on someone your own size next time, to make it fair. I know what a coward you are now. Only a coward does what you did. What, did you do it to make yourself feel tough, Stif-"

Jackson cuts me off with a deep growl. "Shut up, Annabelle! Shut your mouth this instant!"

"You can't make me!" I scream back at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tris clutching her butter knife. Everyone is still watching, and I know I'm winning.

He's about to take a step towards me when I say, "Take one more step towards me, and I swear I'll break your shoulder. If I were you, I'd leave. So get out."

Jackson growls again when someone pulls me back. At first, all I can see is black, but when the figure steps forward, I see the black was a patch of a shirt.

In front of me, I see Uriah. His veins are bulging out of his arms and he looks pissed.

"You heard her," he says slowly. "Get out."

Jackson looks at me incredulously. "What is he? Your boyfriend or something?"

Before I can answer, Uriah takes a step forward. Although Uriah is younger by a few years, he definitely is tougher than Jackson. Uriah is tall for 16 and definitely more muscular.

"What's it to you, Stiff?"

Jackson looks infruitated. "I asked," he spits out, "if you were her boyfriend."

Uriah stares Jackson down, without saying a word.

Before he can answer, I slip my hand into Uriah's. "Yeah, he is. You got a problem with that?"

"Hmm?" Uriah asks.

Uriah looks down at me and then our hands. I smile at him, to thank him. Uriah just pulls me closer. I see Eric looking at us and Jackson. He doesn't look happy.

Uriah stands taller and looks back at Jackson. "State why you're here, Stiff, or leave."

"You're dad wanted me to come and see how you were," Jackson says, his hands at his sides in fists.

"Well," I say, "tell him I'm fine. And next time, tell him not to send a little rat."

I pull Uriah along with me as I walk out of the cafeteria. I can hear Jackson yelling for me to come back when suddenly he stops. I glance back just in time to see Jackson clutching his jaw and Eric, a step away hand balled up into a fist.

I keep walking down the hallway, concious that Uriah is is awfully quiet and very stiff.

As we reach the end of the hallway, Uriah stops and pulls me to face him. He doesn't look mad but isn't smiling for once. The only reasurring thing, is that Uriah's hand is still with mine.

He brings his hand up to my cheek and tucks a loose strand of hair back and away.

"Who was that guy?" Uriah asks. His voice is soft and he sounds sad.

I know I can trust Uriah, and I want to tell him everything, but standing in the middle of a hallway declaring my childhood doesn't sound fun.

I slide both my hands into his and move closer to him. "Can we go somewhere private?"

Uriah nods and leads me down a series of hallways and up to the apartments above the Pit. We pass door after door until we finally reach one labeled K204. Uriah pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and slides them into the lock.

He turns on the light when we walk in and closes the door after me. I notice that I'm in a small, apartment kitchen which leads into a living area with couches and a Flat Screen. There's a hallway and from what I can see, a few doors most likely leading to rooms or a bathroom.

"I thought Dauntless borns had to stay in dorms just like transfers?" I ask.

"No, no. We do. This is just Zeke's apartment. He lets me stay with him sometimes," Uriah says as he leads me into the living area.

"So, I guess you want to know the story with Jackson, huh?" I ask, dreading to tell him.

He just nods.

"It's not pretty Uriah," I say shaking my head as images I've tried to block out flow through my mind.

"Boyfriend gone wrong?" he asks.

I smile a little, though I don't know why. "It's definitely worse."


	25. Chapter 25

I sigh and look up at Uriah. He looks down at me, not angrily but waiting. I turn on the couch so I fully face him and sit cross-legged. He does the same so he can face me. I take his hand into both of mine and mess with his fingers.

"My full name is Annabelle Hightower - and yes, my father is Mr. Hightower, one of the council members that runs our government. I have seven older brothers. Four of them stayed Abnegation while two transferred to Amity and another went to Erudite. Jackson is my oldest brother, Andrew's, best friend."

Uriah doesn't interrupt. He lets me keep his hand in mine and waits patiently for the entire story.

"One night, my entire family went out but I stayed at home. I heard the door open, thinking it was my family, but instead it was Andrew and Jackson who both seemed really intoxicated. I don't know how they got drunk, but they were 21. Jackson started acting weird. Andrew passed out on the couch and then Jackson took his turn at me. He started coming onto me, even when I told him to stop. He just wouldn't listen.."

Images float through my mind. _Me backing up into the wall crying. The sound of tearing fabric. No. No. No!_

Uriah tenses up and his body goes rigid. I feel wetness on my arms and look down to see tears. I didn't even know I was crying.

Before I can continue, Uriah says, "Oh god, Belle." He sounds pained. His face is twisted into a grimace.

I nod. That was exactly what Tris said too.

"He raped me and forced me to do things with him." I try to shrug it off, although it doesn't work. "The worst part was, that the next morning, Andrew threatened me and told me not to tell anyone. He knew what was going on, but didn't even try helping."

Uriah looks at me, mouth parted. His gentle hands wipe away my tears. His voice is steady when he says, "I'll kill him."

I look up at him shocked. "Uriah, no."

"Belle, what he did... that's unforgivable. I can't take it! Knowing what happened, and letting it go?" he asks. His voice is getting louder and as he gets off the couch. "Belle I can't!" Uriah is shaking with anger.

He starts towards the door.

"Uriah please don't leave me. I'm sorry.. I didn't want to.."

Uriah spins around and I can see his face, which is a mask of shock.

"You think I'm mad at you?" he asks

"Well, you're leaving aren't you?" I say, my voice soft from sadness.

"I want to go find Eric and that goddamned Stiff and beat the shit out of him, Belle!"

"Uriah, please. For me, please sit down!"

He stares at me, wide eyed. "You want to let him go?"

"Please. Just please sit down and listen to me."

He finally sits down after pacing a few times around Zeke's apartment.

I move closer to him. He automatically pulls me into his lap. Even in this moment, when I'm talking about my worst fear, I can feel my heart beat faster because of Uriah. I wrap my legs around his waist and he wraps his arms around me. I lay my hands gently on his chest and can feel his heart beat. It feels just as fast as mine.

"No one knows besides you and Tris. Well you two and Four," I say quickly.

Uriah's eyebrows scrunch up. "Four knows?"

I shrug slightly. "Jackson was was fear in my simulation."

Uriah looks up and asks softly, "Your parents?"

I shake my head. "I couldn't bring myself to put them through that."

Uriah nods. "Belle, I'm so sorry this happened to you. It shouldn't have happened to you. That shouldn't happen to anyone."

I nod. "I thought leaving leaving Abnegation would keep me safe, since I'd be away from him. I guess I'm not safe anywhere."

Uriah shakes his head. "That's not true. You're an amazing fighter now. You could kick his ass if you needed to. And, I promise to keep you safe. I'd do anything for you and I swear if he ever comes near you, I'll beat him senseless. No matter what happens, I'll beat him senseless."

"Save me an arm or something," I say.

Uriah slightly laughs and smiles at me as he reaches his hand to my face to wipe away tears again.

"How about we talk about something a little less dark?" he offers with a full smile.

I nod. I'd rather talk about anything.

Uriah's cheeks flame red and he gets shy. Although how he can be shy now when I'm already in his lap is beyond me.

"Can I ask you something?" he asks still shy.

"Of course," I say.

"Did you call me your boyfriend back there?" A wide smile is across Uriah's face and he looks hopeful.

I smile. "That depends, really. Do you want to be?"

Uriah smiles again and leans in closer to me. "It would be my honor."

I lean into him and close the distance between our faces until there's a little less than an inch between us. "Good."

Uriah's lips find mine the same time I find his. His lips are soft and press against mine slowly. It's a few seconds before anything happens, but his lips expertly move mine apart.

I slide my arms around his neck and let my fingers stroke through his hair. Uriah's hands press against my back, keeping me close to him.

We stay like that, intertwined into each other for a long time until someone clears their throat. I pull back instantly to see Zeke, Shauna, Lauren and Four all standing in the doorway grinning.

Uriah makes an irritated noise but doesn't push me off. Instead, he helps me up, gets up himself, and wraps his arms around my waist from behind and lays his chin on my shoulder.

Zeke, who's still grinning says, "Sorry to interrupt your love sesh."

Uriah, still annoyed, says, "What do you need?"

"Nothing," Zeke says with a smile.

Uriah makes an impatient sound and is about to interject when Four says, "The Stiff's gone. Eric escorted him out and sent him back to Abnegation."

I nod. "Thanks."

It get's really quiet for a few seconds until Shauna breaks the silence. "So, are you guys like, together noww, orrrr?"

I start smiling and look up at Uriah. He leans down and pecks me on the lips. "Yeah, we're together."

Zeke snorts. "You call that a kiss?" He reaches for Shuana and begins making out with her while she laughs uncontrollably.

Lauren turns to Four and says, "I'm not kissing you."

Four snorts and says, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Everyone starts laughing.

Four turns to me and says, "We have a field trip tomorrow, so we can take a break from the sim, and it's getting kind of late. I can walk you back to the dorm. I have to make an announcement to the rest of the transfers anyway."

I nod and turn to Uriah. He flashes one of his award winning smiles and says, "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

I nod. He leans down and kisses me once again. His lips part mine but pulls back before anything else can happen. I guess he's shy around company. I bade everyone a goodnight and follow Four out the door.

Once we're a little ways down the hallway, Four quietly asks, "That was Jackson, right?"

I nod.

He stares straight ahead as he asks, "Are you mad that people found out who your father is?"

I shrug. "I guess it was bound to happen sometime, right? I mean you can't hide forever."

Four looks at me with a weird expression on his face - something between shocked and panic. "You can surely try..."

We enter the dorm. Mostly all of the initiates are up talking in separate groups around the room. Everyone looks up as we enter. I go and stand next to a wall as Four spreads his arms out. "Initiates, tomorrow is Visiting Day. Tomorrow, you're families have the opportunity to come visit you in your new faction."


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys! I just wanted to say thank you to all of you! You guys have been really supportive and I love writing for you guys! A little of 6,000 views! Keep it up!(: Tell me what you think of this chapter!**

I sit on the edge of my bed, my hands clasped around the edges so hard my knuckles are white.

The last time I saw my family, they didn't look too angry. They looked proud, if anything. But how will they react when Jackson tells them what happened when he visited? If he even tells them...

I look up over at Tris who's chewing on her lip. I walk over to her bunk and sit down next to her. She looks at me and asks, "What if they hate me? What if they don't even show up?"

Last time I saw Tris's mom, she was kind of smiling at her daughter. But, Tris's dad was beyond angry. Instead of giving her false hope, I smile and put my arm around her and say, "Well then, we can adopt you and we can be sisters."

Tris laughs as I add, "Well you know, if they even want me."

She looks at me inquisitively. I shrug and say, "If Jackson tells them what happened, I just don't know what's going to happen.."

She nods and gets off the bed. Tris offers me her hand and says, "We won't know if we don't go and find out." I nod, take her hand, and walk with her down to the Pit.

When I walk in, I see colors of black and white, red and yellow, some blue here and there, but no grey.

"Hey Belle!" I hear a familiar voice call for me and spin around to see Zeke and Uriah standing next to a woman. She's a little shorter than Uriah and slimmer, but I can see some muscle and a snake tattoo that swirls around her arm.

I walk towards them. Uriah places his hand on my back and guides me over to the woman. "Mom, this," he says looking down at me with a smile, "is Belle."

The woman, Uriah and Zeke's mother, smiles and says, "My, my, my. It's nice to finally meet you. Uriah doesn't shut up about you."

I laugh and lean a little into Uriah. "It's nice to meet you too."

She smiles again. I look at her and can see a little of Uriah and Zeke in her features. Zeke and Uriah look exactly alike, only Zeke is a little older with more set features. I can see a little of her jaw line and dark hair in them both. The rest must be their father.

"Uriah tells me that you ranked second in the transfers. That's quite good," she says.

I smile and look at Uriah, "He taught me pretty much all I know about fighting."

The woman smiles and looks appreciatively at her younger son, "His father taught him and Zeke everything the know too. It's nice to know that they're taking what he taught them and passing it on."

I nod. I look over my shoulder as I hear more families walking into Dauntless's Pit. In the midst of color, I see some gray and feel my heart skip a beat.

"I think my family might be here," I say turing back. "It was really nice to meet you, Mrs. -"

Uriah's mom cuts me off and says, "Oh, no please, you can call me Terri."

I smile and say, "It was nice meeting you, Terri."

"Have fun," Zeke says with a grin. I roll my eyes at him and look up at Uriah and say, "If they don't hate me, I want you to come meet my family." I turn to all of them and say, "All of you." They all smile and Uriah says, "Just give me the all clear." I grin as I walk away from them.

All the colors mixed together look strange. I find the gray I spotted before and feel my heart sink a little as I see it's Tris's mother. I walk over to her and say, "Hello, Mrs. Prior."

She turns around and smiles slightly as she see's me, gives me a quick hug, and a peck on the cheek. "Annabelle, I'm so glad to see you. My, Dauntless has changed you," she says taking me all in.

I look down at myself. I wear dark maroon pants, black combat boots, and a loose v-neck long sleeve that shows a little of my tattoo. I wanted to look presentable in front of my family, but still show them that I'm Dauntless now.

"It's good to see you too, Mrs. Prior."

"Have you seen Beatrice?" she asks, hopeful.

I look around and see a familiar blonde head near the chasm. "She's right over there," I say pointing.

Mrs. Prior smiles at me and says, "Thank you."

Before she walks away, I ask, "Do you know if my parents are coming?"

She turns to me and says, "I spoke with your mother before I left. She said she had some errands to run but would be here as soon as she could."

Mrs. Prior puts a hand on my shoulder and says, "Don't worry, Annabelle. She'll be here."

I nod and as she says, "It was nice seeing you again."

"You too."

I turn and see that a lot of people are staring at me. I look over to where Uriah and is family are and give him a thumbs down. He looks over at Mrs. Prior and understands that she's Tris's mom, not mine.

Will comes over to me with a tall, blonde haired girl in blue.

"Belle, this is my sister, Cara." The girl, Cara, nods slightly. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you," I say. I know that I would have most likely fit in well in Erudite, but I needed to learn to fight. I really hope that this girl doesn't think I'm just some brain-dead Dauntless.

"Do you know my brother? Louis Hightower?" I ask.

I can tell she does just by the expression on her face. My brother is well known at Erudite. He's one of the smartest.

"Louis is your brother?" she asks.

I smile, "Yes, one of my seven brothers." Will's eyebrows go up at that comment. "You have seven brothers?" he asks and mumbles, "That's a little irrational." _Once an Erudite, always an Erudite. _

Cara looks at her brother almost like a teacher would look at a student. "Council members have large families because they make a lot of money. More than they should, actually," she says narrowing her eyes at me.

I can feel my cheeks get red. "Why does Erudite keep making false accusations against Abnegation? We've, - I mean they've done nothing wrong."

"Will, I must ask you once again. Why are you associating with her? She's probably a spy or something. You can't trust an Abnegation."

I can feel my cheeks get red. Will pulls his sister away and mutters, "Cara, she's a top fighter. Don't antagonize her."

I roll my eyes and glare at Cara. "Don't worry. I won't break your Nose, Nose," I say walking away. Nose is slang for Erudite because they always have their nose in a book.

I can hear Cara still mumbling ridiculous accusations against Abnegation but completely ignore her when I see a group of red, yellow, blue, and gray all walking together.

I'd know that group of people any day. The crowd gives them a large birth of space. I know that's my family.

Before I know it, I'm off the ground in a bear hug surrounded by red. "Jayson.. can't... breathe!" I choke out. For Amity, Jayson and Jacob are beyond strong. They could kick some Dauntless butts if they wanted to.

I hear Jayson laugh and put me down. Before I know it, I'm in another bear hug but surrounded by yellow this time. "Jacob!" I choke out. His body shaking next to mine and I know he's laughing.

Louis hugs me lightly, and tells Jacob and Jayson how bear hugs are irrational. I hear a familiar, feminine, loving laugh and spin to see my mother. She looks the same. Same jet black hair in a bun, loose gray Abnegation dress, and dark gray coat.

She smiles at me and opens her arms the same time I pull her into a hug. She smells like home.

"We miss you," she says. "I miss you too," I say softly against her shoulder. I can feel tears sting my eyes and chide myself. _Don't Cry, Don't Cry, Don't Cry_.

"Where's father, and the rest of them?" I ask a little disappointed. My mom looks to the ground. "It's been hectic at home lately. There's been a lot of council meetings. Your father said he'd try to come if he could, but he sends his love."

I nod. I look around and notice that once again people are staring.

I turn and see that Four and Eric are walking my way.

My brothers stand next to my mother with my in front. "This is Four, and this is Eric. They're my instructors." Four nods slightly while Eric steps forward a little. "Belle's been doing really well in training," he says. The sadistic tone of his voice is gone, replaced by a tone an Erudite would use to recite a report.

My mother places a hand on my shoulder and says, "I'm glad to hear it. I know a few things about Dauntless initiation and worried."

Four shakes his head. "She's doing better than some of the Dauntless borns."

Jacob slaps me on the back and says, "That's my girl."

Eric looks from me to him a little inquisitively. My brothers and I share the same tanner skin like my brother, but my brothers have brown hair, while I have a dark brown, almost black color.

"Arn't you going to introduce us?" Eric asks. He eyes Jacob a little.

"Oh yeah, right." I say turning. "Eric, Four, this is my mother," I say. My mother nods. "And these are some of my brothers. Louis, Jacob, and Jayson."

Eric and Four nod. I catch Four looking over at Tris and her mother, still near the chasm.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hightower," Eric says nodding to my mother. Four does the same, and they both leave walking away in separate directions - Four towards Tris and Eric towards Max.

I look around and see Cara starring at Louis. I turn to him. "Do you know her?" I ask.

"Who, Cara? She's a year or two younger than me. I trained the initiates once and she was part of the class. Good kid."

I smile. Louis never really looks at a girl like most guys do. He's in love with his work.

I turn and see Uriah, looking at me hopefully. I nod, signaling for him to come.

Zeke and their mother, Terri walk a pace behind Uriah.

"Mom, guys, this is Uriah, my uh, boyfriend," I say a little red cheeked as Uriah stands in front of part of my family.

Jacob grins widely, and I know he's going to make fun of me while Jayson and Louis smile.

Uriah sticks his hand out and offers one of his award winning smiles to my mother.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hightower," he says. My mother shakes his hand, smiles lightly and says, "You too."

Uriah shakes my brothers hands and introduces himself to them too.

My mother and Terri begin talking politely and I can hear Terri telling my mother about Uriah and how he really likes me. I look up at her shyly and see that she smiles back at me and nods. She approves.

I look up at Uriah and say, "She approves of you." He grins and says, "She approves of you too."

I laugh and hug him. Tris and her mother come over. Tris greets my brothers and mother while Tris's mother joins my mom and Terri's conversation.

We walk into the cafeteria and eat some Dauntless cake together. It feels so weird to have part of my family mixed with my Dauntless life.

We sit together with Lynn and Shauna's mother, Uriah and Zeke's mother, Four, Tris and her mother, Me and my family, Marlene and her parents, Will and Cara, and Christina and her mother and little sister. I wonder where Al is..

Cara stays away from me, which is good. One more comment about Abnegation and I may just punch her.

Surprisingly, even with the mix of different factions at one table, we get along just fine.

**Sorry the chapter was kind of long, I just thought it'd be nice to incorporate a lot of dialogue. Hope you like'd it!(: **


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter! **

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After lunch, most of the families either stay and talk with their children or go home.

I hug my brothers and bade them goodbyes. Jacob and Jayson both kiss my cheeks and gives my hugs again while Louis ruffles my hair. My mother is the last to leave.

"How do you like it here?" she asks me as she pulls me into a corner.

"I like it. I don't know. It's.. different," I say shrugging.

My mother touches my cheek softly. "Annabelle?" she asks.

"What's wrong?" I ask moving closer. The last time my mom sounded like that was the day of my Aptitude Test.

"Why did you choose Dauntless?"

I can feel my body go rigid as it tenses up. I don't think I can tell my mother what happened. I can't put her through that. Can I tell her I'm Divergent at least?

I pretend to bounce it off. "I like'd how the Dauntless are. They're free here, and I wanted to be apart of it."

She nods and says quietly, "I was a transfer too. Did you know that?"

I look at her wide eyed. I could never imagine my mother at a different faction. She seems so... selfless.

"Really?" I ask.

She smiles and nods. "I could tell that you wanted to transfer. It's why I told you to do what made you happy, because that's what I did. But do you know what faction I transferred from?"

I shake my head. "No, which one?"

"Candor," she says with a slight smile as she sees the shock on my face. "And before I transferred, they taught us how to know when someone is lying. And I know that you're lying to me, sweetheart. I know you are. But I also know that this isn't the place to talk about things. So I'll find a way to see you soon, okay? There are many things we have to- no need to- discuss. Important things are happening, Annabelle. Things that could change everything.."

Before I can say anything, my mother kisses me on the cheek and hugs me. "I love you," she says as she slips around me and disappears into a crowd of people leaving.

I stand there, shocked. "I love you too.." I say.

* * *

I walk back to the cafeteria and see that everyone's families have left. I take a seat next to Uriah. He smiles when he see's me and asks, "Everything okay?"

I smile slightly and say, "Yeah, it's all good."

"Alright everybody, I think that we should have a party," Zeke announces

Shauna turns to him and laughs, "Who all are you inviting?"

Zeke makes and Erudite face and pretends to push up a pair of glasses, "Well obviously you, Lauren, Four, and Uriah's friends could come too."

Christina claps her hands excitedly, "Really? Yay! Tris, you finally have a reason to wear those dresses you bought!"

Tris makes a face, "You mean the ones that I bought because it was the only way you'd let me out of the dressing room?"

Everyone starts laughing. Everyone says they'll come besides Four and Lauren.

Zeke looks at them and whines, "_Why not_?"

"Because we're instructors," Four says.

"How could the initiates take us seriously if we party with them?" Lauren adds in.

Surprisingly, its Tris who answers. "Oh come on, we can all be friends for the night and in the morning we can pretend that you scare us to death again."

Everyone starts laughing and even Four's lips slip into a slight smile as he nods.

Uriah looks at his brother, what are we going to play then?"

Zeke grins. "How about a little Candor or Dauntless?"

* * *

I end up wearing a long sleeved black dress. The sleeves are mesh while the rest of the dress hugs my body but from the waist on, flares out like a skirt. I wear black boots with it.

Christina ends up forcing make up on me and Tris. She actually did a good job. My eyes are lined with black and my lashes flare up and out. Tris is in a loose black dress that has a belt while Christina wears a tight black dress that hugs her curves.

"Ready?" Christina asks cheerfully.

I nod and we walk to the apartments above the Pit. Christina and Tris follow as I lead to Zeke's.

When we enter, I see that Zeke has streamers hung from the ceiling and blue lights around the apartment on, since the normal lights are off. The couches are pushed back, leaving space on the floor to sit and different foods line the kitchen counter.

I see that everyone else is already here. Zeke pulls me into a hug off the floor and whispers with a grin, "Uriah's going to die when he see's you. It took him an hour to try and find something to wear."

I laugh and say, "Well, then where is he?"

Zeke lets Tris and Christina in and closes the door as he says, "He ought to be around here somewhere." Zeke yells, "Aye Uriah! Your special lady friend is here!"

I can feel my cheeks get red and I laugh. I look around and see that Four is awkwardly standing in a corner alone. I pull Tris over and say, "Now's your chance!"

She pretends to not understand what I mean. I roll my eyes at her and say, "Don't play stupid with me. I know you like him!" I push Tris towards Four. She almost falls but regains her balance and glares at me. I smile and wiggle my fingers at her.

Christina is on Will's lap while Al is munching down on all things food in Zeke's kitchen.

I spot Lynn and Marlene the same time Lynn see's me. She smiles and walks over. Over the roar of the music, she says, "Thank you!"

"For what?" I ask.

"Mar and I are together now!" she says.

I look at her and hug her. "Lynn, I'm so happy for you!"

She smiles and looks like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. "I owe you!"

She returns to Marlene who waves to me. I smile. They both look really happy.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Uriah. He's grinning as he leans down and says, "You look amazing."

I smile and take him in. He wears dark black jeans that are a little tighter around his ankles, a black v neck and black shoes with red stripes on the sides.

"Thanks, you look pretty good yourself," I say.

With everything that's happened today, I just want to be with Uriah. I lean into his chest and wrap my hands around his neck. He leans in and presses his lips to mine.

I can feel butterflies in my stomach and runs my fingers through his hair.

When we pull apart, Uriah's grinning even wider.

We both turn as Zeke says, "Alright guys! Let's all sit in the living room and start the games!"

Before I know it, Uriah sweeps me off my feet and into his arms. I laugh as he carries me to a spot on the floor.

He sits down and I sit in between his legs and lay on his chest. Christina is in Will's lap, Al has a bag of chips with him, Four and Shauna are on either side of Zeke, Tris sits next to Four beside me and Uriah and Lauren sits next to Shauna. Lynn and Marlene sit on the other side of me and Uriah.

Zeke grins as he takes out a bottle. "Before our main event, obviously Candor or Dauntless, I think we should warm up a little with some Spin the Bottle."

People hoot and holler through the room.

"What's that", I ask.

Christina looks at me, shocked. "You've never played spin the bottle?"

Four answers instead, "Stiffs don't play games."

Zeke nods. "When it's your turn to spin the bottle, you spin it and whoever it lands on is the person you have to kiss."

I tense up a little and Zeke smiles, "If you don't kiss them, you're out. I guess I'll go first, since I'm the coolest person here."

Everyone laughs and watches as the bottle lands on Shauna. Zeke looks at her, grins and reaches over and full force kisses her.

Everyone starts hooting encouragingly until they finish. I laugh. Dauntless games are so _weird_.

Next is Tris. She spins the bottle and it lands on Al, who smiles shyly. Tris shrugs and walks over to him. Their kiss is shorter than Zeke's but still more than I expected from Tris.

I think I can even see a little jealousy in Four's eyes.

Next is me. I'm a little nervous. I don't really want to kiss anyone besides Uriah. Uriah must feel me tense up because he whispers, "Don't worry, I have an idea."

I nod and spin the bottle. It lands on Zeke who grins widely. Before Zeke can do anything, Uriah takes the bottle and turns it on himself and smiles proudly. "That's better," he says as everyone laughs.

I grin as Uriah spins me around to face him. He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. I can hear people hooting until we break off.

We all take turns spinning until everyone has and Zeke reaches for the bottle. "Alright, I think we've warmed up enough. How about some Candor and Dauntless, hm?"


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys! Thanks for all your support! All your reviews and comments really mean a lot! Thanks so much :))**

Everyone in the room begins hooting and hollering. Zeke grins widely as he says, "Great! Alright, for the record, the rules are that when you're called you have to pick either Candor for a truth question or Dauntless for a dare. If you chicken out, you have to take off an article of clothing."

I can feel my cheeks get red. All I have to take off is a dress and two pairs of shoes.

People are laughing and hooting still as Zeke brings up his hands to silence everyone. I can tell that he's having a great time. "Since I am the coolest person here, as we already established, I will go first." Zeke grins and makes eye contact with everyone. His eyes land on Uriah with satisfaction. He smiles. "Ah, little brother. Candor or Dauntless?"

I look up at Uriah. "Dauntless," he says with a big grin.

Zeke looks down at me and winks. "I dare you to go play seven minutes in heaven with Belle."

I can feel my cheeks burn and thank God that the lights are too low for anyone to see.

Uriah looks down at me and says, "I'm fine with it, but its up to you if you want to or not. I won't make you do something you don't want to."

I've heard of that game. I know you're supposed to make out with a person or something for seven minutes.

"I don't mind," I say hoping the nervousness I feel doesn't show in my voice.

Uriah grins and stands up. He pulls me up and leads me to a bedroom down the hallway while everyone in the living room hoots.

Uriah locks the door behind us.

I can feel myself shake a little out of shyness. I wonder why I'm so jittery; it's only Uriah. I turn around to face him.

Saying 'It's only Uriah' is like saying that Dauntless cake is just cake. Uriah is very handsome. His hair has grown out some and falls in wisps around his face. His jaw line stands out in the low light of the bedroom. His shirt is tight in all the right places to show off his muscular body.

I don't realize how long it is that I've been staring at him until Uriah says, "Is there something in my teeth?" He begins rubbing his thumb to his mouth.

I laugh. "No, I just..." I take a few steps to close the gap between us. His arms encircle me around my waist. He's smiling and as he looks down at me. "You were just what?" he asks amused.

I laugh and bend my finger, signaling for him to bend down. He smiles and cranes his head down. I slide my hands around his face and brush my lips against his. "I was just hoping to do this," I say as I lightly press my lips to Uriah's.

He kisses me back with passionate force, tightening his grip on me. My hands slide into his hair as he slides his arms under me and lifts me up off the ground. I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to the bed.

He lays me down and climbs on top. His hands are on either side of me on the bed holding him up above me so he doesn't crush me. I keep my hands in his hair while still kissing him.

When we break apart, I laugh and look up at him shyly. He looks down at me and I can see that his cheeks are bright red. "Well that was fun," I say, hoping to keep the moment going.

Uriah leans back in and asks, "Who says it has to end?"

He puts his hand under my jaw and cranes my lips up to his. He pulls me into his lap and I wrap my legs around him. We sit like that, Uriah cross-legged on the bed with me in his lap kissing for what seems like our own forever until someone bangs on the door.

"Times up!" Shauna yells from the other side of the door.

Uriah looks annoyed and says, "Well damn."

I laugh and kiss him on the cheek. He smiles down at me and carries me off the bed. He sets me down in front of the dresser and I look in the mirror.

My hair is wild and my dress is a little wrinkled now. Behind me, Uriah is smoothing down his shirt.

He looks at me in the mirror and smiles. I fix myself and head to unlock the door when Uriah grabs my arm and says, "Belle, I just want you to know that you never have to do anything you don't want with me. I don't ever want to push you to have to do anything you don't want to. If I'm ever out of line-"

I cut him off. "Uriah, you're fine! What's gotten into you?"

Uriah looks down and says, "Andrew..."

_Oh_. "You're nothing like him, you know that right?" I ask.

Uriah nods. "I know. It's just.. I don't ever want you to have to go through that."

I smile and put my hands on his cheek. I kiss him softly and say, "You're everything I could ever want. I used to not really think of guys all that much, but when I met you, I thought about you a lot. Your special to me. And, I really like you."

Uriah grins and hugs me. "I really mean it," I say.

He pulls back and smiles at me warmly, "I really like you too."

* * *

We walk back hand in hand into the living room. Zeke grins widely when he see's us and says, "Well, looks like someone had fun." His raises his eye brows up and down suggestively until Uriah reaches over and playfully punches his brother.

"Alright," Uriah says looking around. His eyes land on Shauna.

"Shauna, truth or dare?" he asks.

Shauna sits there thinking about it for a second until she says, "Candor."

Uriah huffs out, as if he's sad that she didn't pick Dauntless. "What's one of your fears in the landscape?"

Shauna goes red and takes off her leather jacket. Zeke looks at her and puts his arm around her, as if to comfort her.

Shauna smiles at him and then turns back to the crowd. "Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Lynn," she says cheerfully.

"What's up with everyone picking siblings?" Lynn asks annoyed.

"Shauna's not my sister," Uriah points out.

Lynn gives him a _shut up _face.

"Candor or Dauntless?" Shauna asks Lynn.

Lynn grins, "Dauntless."

Shauna thinks for a moment and says, "I dare you to kiss your favorite person in this room."

Lynn's cheeks get red and I wonder if she's told anyone about her and Marlene.

Lynn looks over at Marlene and kisses her on the cheek. Marlene smiles and her cheeks become red. Everyone in the room smiles at Lynn, including Four. Uriah grins at Lynn and highfives her. "Way to go, Lynn!" he says proudly to his friend.

Lynn turns back to the group and scans the crowd. "Al, Candor or Dauntless?"

Al looks nervous, but still says, "Dauntless!"

Lynn grins and looks over at all the food. "I dare you melt cheese and chocolate together and eat it."

Al thinks about this for a second and turns to Will, wanting an Erudite's point of view. Will shrugs and says, "The worst thing that can happen is you puking everything back up."

Al shrugs it off and eats the odd combination. Ten minutes later, Al puked.

Once Al comes back, he asks Tris Candor or Dauntless.

Tris chooses Dauntless and Al dares her to stand in front of a target while Four throws knives at her. I smile at how Tris gets to spend time with Four.

We all stand in the training room and watch Four launch knives at Tris. I can tell that he's really trying because it's Tris.

In the end, we all end up play fighting and taking turns to see who has the best aim. Uriah and Four almost tie, but Four beats Uriah by one throw.

By the end of the night, everyone is in Zeke's apartment lounging around as he tells hilarious stories about his initiation and how he was the first jumper but fell off the roof instead of jumping.

I lay on the couch on Uriah and can feel sleep creeping up on me.

I end up falling asleep with Uriah's arms around me, safe and sound.


	29. Chapter 29

**Sorry I haven't been able to update in a while! Been so busy with school!**

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I have a strange dream that night. I know it was a dream because my vision was blurry around the edge - but the dream wasn't a happy dream or a nightmare. I was running through hallways, first in my Abnegation home, then in the hallways of Dauntless, and finally in the Factionless sector of the city. I don't know what I was running from, or why I was running. All I remember, was having the impulse to run.

_Belle wake up. Hey, earth to Belle. Wakey wakey!_

I open my eyes to see Christina in front of me smiling - so the omnipresent voice wasn't my mind, it was her. I look around the room to see Al passed out on the couch across from me, Will cuddling a pillow in a recliner, Tris on the floor huddled against a couch, Four hanging half off Zeke's love seat, and Lauren in the corner. Zeke and Shauna must be in Zeke's room.

I feel stuck in place and try to wiggle free until I look down and see two arms around me. I trace those arms back to their owner and see Uriah, next to me on his side with his arms secured in place around me. He looks innocent and childlike. He doesn't look like he'd be Dauntless, or any faction. He just looks like a young, teenage boy.

His chest is pressed up against me, his heat radiating off onto me. I turn and face him and press myself into him, burying my head into the crook of his neck. His arms reflexively tighten around me. I am about to drift back into peaceful sleep when I hear Christina clear her throat again.

I turn slightly in her direction.

"What?"

"Its 6:30," she says as she glances at the clock.

"Ugh," is the only thing I can manage as I try to pull out of Uriah's iron lock.

"Uriah," I say as sweetly as I can. His eyes flutter slightly, but shut immediately after his conscience tells him it's morning.

I laugh. "Uriah, it's time to wake up."

He makes a sound somewhere between groan and something else that sounds like a protest, too.

"Technically, if everyone pretends it's not morning, it doesn't have to be."

His voice is full of sleep and his voice is very deep and quite frankly, very sexy.

I smile at him and kiss his cheek.

His eyes flutter open and he smiles. Uriah sits up, bringing me with him. His arms stay around me, but he loosens his grip.

He smiles as he takes in the room. "Killer party, huh?"

I nod and smile as I think back to last night. "Maybe we should help wake the others, I say watching Christina try to wake an unconscious Will.

I look over and see Uriah grinning. "Christina, wait. I have an idea, come on," he says motioning us to a closet down the hall.

Ten minutes later, we walk back into the living room with two buckets worth of what Uriah called, Water-balloons.

"On three, we throw them, okay?"

Christina and I nod.

"One

"Two

"Three!" Uriah yells loudly.

I launch a water-balloon at Tris who screams in shock of the cold water.

Uriah throws his balloon at Lynn who flinches awake yelling, "WHAT THE HELL URIAH?"

Marlene groans awake and says, "This is why we don't spend the night!"

Uriah launches a waterballoon at Lauren who, I guess was already awake and catches it mid throw without it bursting.

I walk up to Four with Tris and we both chuck water-balloons at him. He flinches awake and wakes up confused and wet. We all throw waterballoons at each other until everyone in the living room is awake.

We all decide to wake up Zeke and Shauna with as much force as possible, so we reload on waterballoons and each launch them at the unsuspecting and unconscious Zeke and Shauna.

Shauna wakes up furious and Zeke glares at each and everyone of us until his eyes land on Uriah and he growls, "URIAH!"

Uriah laughs his head off and soon we all start laughing, including Shauna at Zeke's hair which is half pressed down and the other half sticking up.

* * *

It takes a while, but everyone soon leaves besides me and Shauna to go get ready for training.

Uriah convinced me to stay and Shauna said that I could borrow something of hers to wear for the day. In the end, I wear black skinny jeans, the same black combat boots, and loose, maroon tanktop that's a little too big. Shauna's apartment is down the hall from Zekes and as I make my way back without Shauna, who left before me to go back, I notice that through the door, I can hear the deep, familiar voice of Eric.

_Oh, joy. _

I open the door and see Zeke, Shauna, and Uriah on one side and Eric on the other. They all look at me when I enter and I feel akward.

"Sorry if I interrupted something important," I say.

Uriah's POV:

Belle walks into the room right in the middle of Eric's stupid rant. I don't even get why we're getting yelled at for having a party at _Dauntless _for crying out loud_. _

She's in Shauna's clothes, which are a little too big on her. The tanktop she wears barely fits and the pants are rolled up.

Eric turns and looks at her. His stance changes from tense anger to relaxed.

"Sorry if I interrupted something important," she says. Her cheeks flare up and she looks adorable.

Eric smiles slightly and says, "Oh no, I was just telling Zeke and Uriah to keep their parties a little quieter."

I roll my eyes and hold back a smart comment. Eric would probably pin me down to the floor and kill me if I said anything.

Belle walks over and stands next to me. Erics eyes follow her with intense interest.

_Wait. Seriously? Eric ...likes...Belle_?

I slide my arm around her waist and pull her against me. She smiles up at me warmly.

"So," Zeke says, "we done here then? Because these two," he says looking over at Belle and I, "have training."

Eric nods. "I can walk you two."

_Oh god. _I am_ not _spending time with Eric while he_ stares _at Belle.

"No, its fine. You go ahead, we'll see you there," I say nonchalauntly.

I pull Belle down the hallway and sneak a peak at Eric over Belle's head.

He looks pissed.

_Perfect_.

**Tris's POV**:

I sit in the orange velvet chair as Four gets the needles for the simulation.

I wonder what fear I will face this time. I can feel my hands shake and ball them up into fits in an effort to hold them in place.

"You okay?" Four asks coming around the chair. "You look like you might puke, Tris."

I shrug.

He pushes my hair back from my side gently. I tilt my head back and watch Four as he injects me with the sim serum. I trace his jaw line with my eyes. He is actually quite good looking. I wonder if he has a girlfriend.

_Well, why wouldn't he?_ I wonder to myself. He's a Dauntless prodigy and like Annabelle. Where ever she goes, she always has someone interested in her, whether she notices or not. Like her, I've seen girls make flirtatious eyes at Four, but I've never seen him return them.

"You're staring at me," Four says a little amusement in his voice.

I drop my eyes to the floor and can feel my hands begin to shake.

Four puts his hand below my chin and raises my face to his.

"The first time's the worst. You're going to be alright."

I nod but can still feel my hands shake.

Four helps lean me back in the chair and keeps hold of my hand.

I can feel my heart beat faster and wonder if he can hear it, because that's all I can hear right now.

"It's okay. Last time you were out quicker than anyone else. You're in a sim, try to hold onto that," he says, still holding my hand.

I can feel the serum take its effect as my vision begins to blur and go dark.

"Be brave, Tris," is the last thing I hear Four say.


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey guys! So someone asked for a Tris POV and I thought it'd be fun to! I hope you all like it!(: Keep commenting and reviewing! It means a lot to me :))**

**XOXO**

**Tris's POV:**

I find myself in a field of dead, green-turning-yellow grass. I look up to see the fence.

_How did I get here?_

There's something odd about how the fence curves. It looks like I'm on the _outside_, rather than in. I turn around and see that there are no longer any skyscrapers but just fields and fields of dead grass. I _am_ on the outside.

_Why am I here?_

I look up at the sky, which was a cloudless blue a moment ago but now, I can see dark storm clouds rolling in. They roll in with such speed, I wonder if I am dreaming. I see strikes of lightening and realize that I should get to shelter.

I begin walking towards the fence. As soon as I take a step towards it, the fence backs away almost instinctively.

_What on Earth?_

I take another step and see the fence back away once again. I guess going home isn't an option.

Before I can turn back, a lightening bolt hits the ground beside me. I back up and take a step to the right, where another bolt strikes.

The lightening leads me like this down a path, never striking me, but _guiding_ me.

When I get to an open field, the lightening ceases its rage but the storm continues raging on.

Before me, a post appears. I walk over and see one word upon it.

**GRAVEYARD**

I look up and see not just a field anymore, but a field with tombstones sticking out from the ground. Rows on rows of the gray tombstones.

I walk into the field and see names I know.  
Robert Wakehart

Susan Wakehart

_Oh God_.

I continue walking down...

Annabelle Hightower

I can feel my heart sink into my toes. "Annabelle?"

No response.

"Annabelle!" I scream this time. She can't be dead!_ How can she be dead_?

I turn around and see another tombstone that reads: Caleb Prior

It must be the tears. I just can't see properly. My brother can't be dead too, _can he?_

I wipe away all my tears and look again.

Caleb Prior is the name I still see, but this time, there are two tombstones on either side of him. The left one reads Natalie Prior and the right reads Andrew Prior.

I think I'm going mad. _This can't be happening._

I begin screaming.

The ground has become wet and muddy. I kick the mud around in fury. The tears become too much for me to handle.

_This can't be happening_. I slump to the ground, unable to bear the tears that rack my body.

How can this be happening? I saw my mother just the other day when she visited!

I saw Annabelle just last night at Zeke's party.

Wait.. No I saw Annabelle right before I left Zeke's house to go get ready for training.

I look up and see that the rain has softened, but still pours. I look around and still see tombstones, but they no longer mean anything to me.

I remember now; I'm in a simulation.

I stand up, wiping the tears away from my face with the back of my hand. At least now I know that this isn't real. If only the rain could stop.

I look up and see the clouds rolling away to leave a bright blue sky behind.

I turn around and still see the fence. When I look back, the stones are all gone leaving the open field I saw when I first came.  
My clothes bare the only remembrance to the muddy ground. I begin to walk around. Why am I still here? Isn't it just supposed to be one fear and then I wake up?

* * *

Out in the distance, I hear a low growl. I scan the field until my eyes land on the snarling dog that I once saw in my Aptitude test.

It begins towards me and I back away in reflex. I have Dauntless training now and I know that I can take this dog. I take a step towards it and notice that this dog is slightly different from the dog I remembered.  
It's teeth are sharper, almost like knives. It's claws are outstretched and three times longer. The hunger in its eyes are amplified.

I know now that even with my training, I will be no match for this dog.

It begins slowly, and menacingly, towards me with an intense growl.

I back up slowly towards the fence. Within seconds, my back hits the fence, which I thought was at least a quarter of a mile away.

Well, this is a simulation so anything's possible. Wait.. if anything's possible, can't I _ask_ for something to happen? I asked for the rain to stop and the clouds moved away. In my last simulation, I cracked three inch glass.

"I wish," I say out loud, "that I had a neuro-gun."  
In less than a second, I feel something metal and heavy in my right hand and smirk.

I point the gun in the dogs direction, who hasn't stopped its way towards me. I aim the gun at the dog's side and shoot.

At first, nothing happens and I wonder if the darts were even real. But then, the dog slumps over.

For a second, I wonder if the gun was filled with actual bullets and worry that I've killed the dog, but then I see its eyes flutter in and out in sleep.

_Thank God_.

My vision goes black on the sides as soon as I know that the dog is okay. The darkness creeps into my field of view until I can't see anything.

Before I open my eyes, I use my hands to feel where I am - just incase I'm in another fear.  
I feel velvet and smell a clean room.

I open my eyes and at first see only white. When I get up, I see the familiar walls of the sim room and see the soft orange of the velvet chair I'm in.

I look further down and see monitors and then Four standing between me and the doorway with his arms crossed. He looks, curious and almost angry...

I sit up fully and face him. He still hasn't moved an inch but is still staring at me.

I wipe down my face and feel something wet on my cheeks. I guess I really was crying when I saw the tombstones. My lip stings and I turn to see in a mirror that a small stream of blood has made its way from my lower lip to my chin and a little down the side of my neck. I guess I really was afraid.

I look back at Four, who's still staring at me. The silence has become eerie. "What?" I finally ask.

Four, at first, doesn't move. A few seconds later, he takes a step towards me and asks, "How did you do it?"

"Do what, exactly?" I ask, truly baffled.

"You made the rain stop. You made a Neuro-Gun form out of thin air." He replies without taking his eyes off me.

Even though I wanted Four to notice me, his stare is making me uncomfortable.

I shrug. "It was all easier when I figured out that I was in a simulation."

Four's stance changes immediately and he looks bewildered. "You realized that you were in a sim?"

"Well yeah," I say. "I mean it took a little bit for reason to hit me, but I remembered eventually."

Four raises his eyebrows as if in question.

"Well, I mean my family was the hard part. But Annabelle's death didn't make sense. At first I thought I only saw her last night at Zeke's, but then I remembered that the last time I saw her was this morning after I left to go get ready for training. And then, I linked training to sims," I say with a sigh.

Four just stares at me.

"What?" I ask after a minute of silence. "Are you disappointed that I took longer this time? Well, considering I had two fears instead of one this time-"

Four cuts me off. "You had two fears because I programmed the sim to continue after the graveyard only because I couldn't believe that you figured out that you were in a sim. Then, you made the rain stop. And by the way Tris, you didn't take longer. Last time, your time was 3:55 - the best time of any of the initiates. This time, you took 3 minutes on the dot."

I raise my eyebrows in shock as Four moves towards a monitor.

"What are you doing?" I ask. "Are you making me go through another simulation?"

"No," he responds with his attention still to the monitor. "I'm deleting your sim footage."

"Why?" I ask, more confused now.

"Because," Four says as he turns slightly to me. "If anyone else, especially Eric, finds out that you're Divergent, they'll kill you."


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your views and encouraging comments! It means the world to me(: **

**Belle's POV**:

Even though it was my second time in a sim, I'm still a little shaken up.

My fear was drowning.

I kept trying to swim to the surface, but I just ended up swimming deeper until I drowned completely and woke back up in the sim room. Four gave me a weird look on my way out, but I couldn't tell what it meant.

Instead of being one of the first initiates, I was last to go for sims - meaning that most likely everyone is in the dorm room.

Before I left Zeke's apartment for training, Uriah gave me one of his shirts to wear, considering Shauna's was too big. Uriah's is still too big around the shoulders but I like how it fits. It has writing on it that says, NOBODY DOES IT LIKE THE DAUNTLESS. Even though its silly, I feel a little more comfortable since it feels like Uriah is with me.

I walk into the dorm and see Peter holding a newspaper high above his head and Tris being held back by Will and Al.

"What's going on in here?" I ask. Everyone's attention turns to me. Peter smirks and says, "Oh nothing really, I was just reading the paper and Tris went mad. You really should get a leash for her."

I roll my eyes and look at Tris. She looks pissed and in a trance of rage.

Peter holds the paper up and begins to read.

"As mostly all of us know, Visiting Day is a time every initiate either fears or waits for. Transfers are usually the ones to fear the day while Faction-borns long for it. Over at Dauntless, a family friend of the Hightower's - who we all know run our government - Jackson Eisenhower, went to visit the youngest of the Hightower's, Annabelle, who recently transferred to Dauntless. She ended up being very vague but fought over meeting with him even after he said he came with news from her father.  
This leads me to wonder what on earth would make a young Abnegation child want to transfer to Dauntless of all the factions and refuse to see her family. I interviewed a fellow initiate of Annabelle's, Molly Parker, who said, 'I've heard her and her bestfriend Tris, who's also from Abnegation, talk in their sleep and say things like, _No stop_, or, _I don't want to, Dad_, and much more. I worry that they had a bad childhood and wonder what happens behind the gates of Abengation..'" Peter says finishing off with a smile. He even high-fives Molly who smirks at me.

I almost lunge at him before Christina grabs me from behind. I yell for her to let go.

Christina tries to tighten her grip around me when I find the right moment to break free. I lunge at Peter and tackle him to the ground. I pin him in place and punch him in the nose and jaw. "How dare you! My father's nothing but a good man! How dare you!" I scream at him as I punch him again in the nose.

Two pairs of arms lock around me and pull me off. I feel a sharp pain in my left arm and everything first goes blurry and then goes black.

* * *

I wake up with a searing pain in my head. Everything seems to be moving around and won't stay still for even a second.

"You're going to be dizzy for a little bit," a voice says. I can't quite tell whose it is, besides that it's unfamiliar.

I look over and see a figure in a white jacket. She looks like an Erudite doctor.

"Whaht?" is the only thing I can manage out.

It takes a while but my vision focuses enough for me to see the woman. She has dark brown hair and wears a blue dress underneath her white coat. She _is_ from Erudite.

She smiles at me and says, "You got a little aggressive but we knocked you out before you clawed the poor boys face off."

Poor boy? "You don't know what he did," I say slowly. "He deserved it."

The woman looks at me shocked. "What did he do that was so bad?" she asks.

"He read your stupid paper," I respond.

She looks at me for a moment and calls for a Dauntless nurse instead.

This woman, Nikki, I remember and like. She smiles at me and says, "Scared the living day lights out of that woman. What'd you say to her?"

I shrug and say, "Told her I beat up Peter because he read her paper."

Nikki smiles at me and says, "The first time you were here, I was worried you wouldn't last; but I can tell now that you really are one of us."

"What happened?" I ask again, knowing that the Erudite woman most likely sugar coated her response.

Nikki shrugs and says, "You got a couple of good hits on Peter. I sent him off with an ice-pack but he'll still have some bruises tomorrow. You on the other hand only have some scratches."

I nod and smile a little knowing that I won, well kind of.

"Why was there an Erudite nurse here?" I ask, a little curious.

Nikki sighs and says, "Not sure, actually. Erudite's have been here a lot recently. Max and Jeanine are like best friends now. Erudite has been in and out for the past week. They've even been giving us new serums and things like that."

"Hm," is the only thing I can manage out.

Nikki smiles and says, "The serum we injected you with was a prototype of Erudite's. The lady said you might get sleepy."

I try to nod but sleep ends up taking over again.

When I wake up, I notice that I no longer have a headache and my vision isn't blurred.

In front of me sits Uriah, Tris, Al, Will, Christina, Marlene, and Lynn.

They all smile at me and Uriah says, "There's my little fighter."

I manage out a laugh and Will says, "We could barely hold you back. Eric walked in to see what the commotion was all about and injected you with something. We were going to come earlier, but some nurse shooed us off and told us to come back later, so here we are," he finishes off with a smile.

"Can I leave now?" I ask.

"I'll go and get a nurse," Christina says.

Within a few minutes, Nikki comes back and discharges me from the infirmary.

On our way out, a see a group of Dauntless and Erudite bringing in boxes on boxes labeled SerumX. I've always known that Erudite and Dauntless got along, not like Abnegation and Erudite, who can't stand each other, but I didn't know Erudite supplied Dauntless with much.

I see that one of the Dauntless helping is Tori and go up to her. "Hey Belle," she says as she hauls another box onto a crate.

"Hey. What's with the boxes?" I ask.

Tori shrugs. "New shipment from Erudite. Hey, are you busy later?" she asks as she pulls me aside.

"No, I'm done for the day. Why? What's wrong?" I ask, suddenly worried. Tori's voice has taken on the tone she had when she told me I was Divergent.

She ducks her head down to my level and says, "Somethings going on here, kid. Erudite used to only supply us with minor things like Sim Room serums but this," she says looking over at the SerumX boxes, "this is different. We need to talk later. Bring your friend too and meet me in the back of the tattoo place. I think that the only other person working tonight is Casey, so we should be safe to talk."

I nod and before I turn to leave, Tori grabs my arm. "Something big is happening, Belle," she says. She fakes a quick smile, incase anyone was watching, and walks away.


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey guys! I was sick so I didn't go to school today! Wrote this before the cough syrup kicked in! Hope you like it! Tell me what you think :))**

**XOXO**

After talking to Tori, I excused Tris and I from the rest of the group so we could talk. Now, we walk together hallway after hallway trying to find a safe place to talk.

Eventually, I find a deserted path in the Pit near the chasm where no one can overhear our conversation.

As soon as we're out of earshot, Tris pulls me around to face her and asks, "Okay, can you tell me now whats going on?"

I sigh and check one more time to make sure that no one is listening. "Alright," I begin. I update Tris on everything that's happened since the last time we spoke one on one - which, quite frankly, has been a long time.

I tell her on what my mother said about how things are changing and how it was too important to discuss on Visiting Day; I tell her what all I've gathered on about Divergents - which really isn't much, only a refresher; I tell her what Nikki, the nurse, said about Jeanine and Max getting close and how Erudite has been intervening in Dauntless more, and finally tell her what Tori said.

Surprisingly, Tris doesn't interrupt. She listens actively with a nod here or a, "Mhm," there. When I'm completely done, she looks up and says, "Four knows I'm Divergent..."

At first I think this is her attempt at an awful joke, but then her face doesn't look like she's suppressing laughter. She looks serious. When I don't say anything, she tells me how her sims went and how Four figured it out. Her last words are the ones to take me by surprise.

"Four deleted my sim footage and said he'd manually input it. He said that if anyone found out, like Eric, they'd kill me..."

"Wait," I say. "Four is... helping you? Is he Divergent too? Are there more here?" I ask excitedly. Maybe we aren't as alone as I thought.

"I don't know," Tris says slowly. "Four's never mentioned it nor has he said anything about it besides when he figured out that I was Divergent. And I think he's helping us, unless he wants to kill me himself, which I doubt. I never got a killer vibe from him," she says.

I laugh and nod. "Tori said to meet her at the tattoo parlor. I guess we could go down and see if she's there or not."

Tris nods and we walk through the Pit over to the familiar dark room of the tattoo parlor.

At first when we walk in, memories of the first time we were here resurface.

I walk to a mirror and look at my first, and only, tattoo. The Tiger stripe's ink looks fresh still, as if I just got it done.

I turn around and see Tris looking over at stencils. I walk over to her and see she's looking at the Abnegation symbol. She turns and smiles to me. "Since we're here, I mean I might as well."

I smile and nod at her.

She looks back at the stencil in her hand and says softly, "I never want to forget where I came from."

I nod and completely understand. I place a hand on her shoulder and say, "I want to get something to remember Abnegation, but every time I think of it, I always think of Jackson and Andrew."

She nods and says, "You were always more selfless than me. I don't think you could ever forget Abnegation." She sighs and looks at me straight in the eyes. "Do you think that if that had never happened with Jackson, that you might've stayed in Abnegation?"

The question takes me off guard. I'd never thought about it that way before. I look at her and say, "Honestly, I don't know. We are..." I don't want to say the word Divergent out loud, so instead I say, "what we are, you know? I guess my choice may have changed, but I'm happy where I am."

Tris smiles and throws her arm around me. "Promise me something?" she asks.

"Anything," I say.

"We go everywhere together? No matter what?"

I smile and hug her back. "Of course. I don't think you could survive without me, anyway," I say laughing.

She laughs too.

We end looking around at some other tattoos while waiting for Tori.

After about 5 minutes, we walk more into the tattoo parlor and see Shauna and Four at the small bar near the side of the parlor.

"Hey!" Shauna yells over to us. She comes over and gives us a hug. "What are you two doing here?" she asks as Four makes his way over.

"I wanted another tattoo," Tris says holding up the stencil in her hand.

Shauna smiles and says, "We're here for Zeke. He wanted another tattoo."

"And he wanted us to come, the big baby that he is," Four adds with a slight smile.

Shauna laughs and playfully punches Four in the arm. "You two have a bromance and you just won't admit it!"

Four rolls his eyes and says, "Oh yeah, totally."

We all go sit at the bar. Four and Shauna are finishing up beers. Shauna offers me some, but I decline. Tris just asks for some Coke.

I notice the girl behind the counter is constantly sneaking peaks at Four, who doesn't seem to notice. He talks to Tris a little. I just wish they would tell each other they liked each other. It's soo obvious to me, but I can tell that no one else notices.

The girl behind the counter is sneaking another peak at Four when I ask, "Do you know where Tori is?"

The girl, obviously caught off guard, almost drops the glass she was drying. "Huh? Oh, Tori? She'll be back in a little."

The girl immediately goes back to sneaking peaks at Four until Zeke walks out of the back.

"Hey, Belle," Zeke says as he greets me.

"Hey," I say with a smile. "Whats the tattoo of the day?" I ask.

Zeke pulls up his shirt and reveals lettering that goes up the side of his chest.

"Carpe Diem," I say outloud as I read it. "What's that mean?"

Zeke grins. "I found a book of old languages once in an abandoned building that must've been a library. It mean seize the day in some language called Latin or something. Cool, huh?"

I laugh. _Only Zeke_. "Yeah, cool."

A moment later, a voice calls for me from the back of the parlor.

I turn and see Tori motioning for Tris and I to come back. I wave bye's to Zeke, Four, and Shauna and head back to Tori with Tris at my side.

When we walk in past the curtains, Tris says, "Mind if I get another tattoo while we talk?"

Tori smiles slightly as she pats the chair, "Hop on up."

I make sure that the thick curtains are fully closed before I ask, "So, what is it that you had to tell us?"

Tori sighs as she places the tattoo template onto Tris's shoulder.

"Being a tattoo artist in Dauntless has its perks, you see. I get to meet everyone, hear all the gossip, and even get some information about other factions when Max or Eric come in and let it slip."

I nod as I wait for her to continue.

"Before I became Dauntless, I was Erudite. Did you know that?" she asks with a sly smile.

I shake my head. I never really pictured Tori being from another faction..

"I'm 21, three years older than Eric, and yes, he's also from Erudite. I knew of him back then because he was ridiculously smart - even for Erudite. The main thing that you should know about Eric, is that he was, and I'm guessing still is, Jeanine's favorite. He would do anything for her. Most Erudite worship her..."

"Why'd he transfer then?" Tris asks, her voice a little muffled by the tattoo chair.

"Before you ask any questions, let me finish," Tori says a little slowly.

"Before I left Erudite, I learned many things about Jeanine. The main thing you should know about her, is that she lives to kill the Divergent."

At first I say nothing. It takes me a moment to connect everything I've learned so far and put it together with what Tori just said.

"So you're saying... That since Jeanine's here in Dauntless... Tris and I should be.. careful?"

Tori nods. "The moment she finds out you're Divergent, it's either you become her lab rats or it's lights out - for the both of you."

"Why is Jeanine coming over to Dauntless then? She's got her labs over in Erudite, why does she have to come here?" Tris asks.

"Think about it. Even if you have all the resources, a scientist can't get what he wants quickly done." Tori says slowly, as if she wants us to connect the rest of the dots.

"So what you mean is," I begin, "is that with the Dauntless's help, Jeanine could get whatever she wants because we can fight..?"

Tori smiles and says, "I see why you had an aptitude for Erudite now."

"Wait, so what exactly does Jeanine want from the Dauntless?" Tris asks, a little pain in her voice from the tattoo needle.

"That's what I don't know completely. All I know so far, is that Jeanine wants to rid our population of Divergents with the help of Dauntless as her army. I don't know how she plans on doing this but, there have been a lot of different serums coming in lately from Erudite. So far, we've gotten enough of that SerumX stuff for all of the Dauntless population. If we could just figure out what that stuff is-" Tori says as she gets cut off by Tris.

"_We_?"

"Yes. Considering that _we're_ all Divergent-"

"You're Divergent?" I ask, shocked.

Tori sighs. "I can't finish a single sentence with you two, huh? Well, yes. I am Divergent, and so was my brother. Dauntless found out he was Divergent when he started sims and got really good at it. Oh, word of advice, be careful in sims-," Tori says but gets cut off by me this time.

"Wait. What _exactly_ are we doing?" I ask, a little skeptical.

"_We_," Tori begins with emphasis, "are going to go steal a box of SerumX and see what it really is."


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I've been really sick and missed a lot of school, so I've had plenty of make up work to keep me busy. Hope you like it :))**

**Tris's POV:**

It's around 6:30 when I hear the door of the roof open. I turn and see Four, a few minutes late, but a few feet away from me.

The black, short sleeved V-neck he wears shows off his muscle. His dark brown hair has grown out a little but still is short if you compare it to Zeke or Uriah's. Even from this distance I can see the electrical blue of his eyes.

It was only yesterday that Four took me with him into his fear landscape and then declared his feelings for me near the chasm after my "meeting" with Belle and Tori.

We decided that we would meet again tonight, Belle and Tori that is, to go see what the SerumX boxes were all about.

It hurts not to be able to tell Belle, although I know she would understand, but I promised _Tobias_ that I wouldn't

He walks up to me and smiles slightly. The warmth of his expression gives me butterflies. I never really thought of anyone this way. It's all so new to me, I wonder if the feeling will ever go away.

"Hey," he says with a shy smile.

I can't help but smile back and manage out a, "Hi."

"Sorry I'm a little late. I got caught up in the control room," he says.

"Excuses, excuses," I say jokingly.

Four smiles a little and laughs.

"So what did you want to show me?" I ask him. Last night, before we parted, Four told me to meet him up here.

He walks over to the edge of the roof and looks over. He beckons for me to join him and points down below. "You see those trucks?" he asks.

I perch over the ledge and try to get a good look at the trucks he's pointing to. They're green and have the Amity symbol on the sides. "What's Amity doing here in Dauntless?"

"That's what confused me at first. Look again, this time closer."

I look over the ledge again and see a couple of people dressed in blue unloading more SerumX boxes from the trucks and handing them over to a couple of Dauntless.

I look back at Four. "_Erudite_?"

"That's what I said too. Erudite has been here a lot lately. I'm guessing they got the trucks from Amity to try to lower suspiscion. They keep bringing in different serums. Especially that SerumX stuff," Four says as he nods his chin in the direction of a Dauntless hauling one of the SerumX boxes.

I guess more people than just Tori have their suspiscions. I wonder if I should tell Four about what Tori said. I can trust Four, I know that. I'm lost in thought debating whether to tell Four or not until he snaps me out of my trance.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks as he tucks back a piece of my hair behind my ear.

I guess I should just tell him, shouldn't I? I bite my lip.

"Tris, you can trust me. I swear," he says, almost looking hurt.

"I know," I say a little sheepish.

"Is there something I can do to make you trust me more? I know in training I'm a little harsh, but I have to be. You can trust me, Tris," he says touching my cheek delicately.

"Are you Divergent?" I blurt out. I guess if Four confirms that he's Divergent, then I can fully trust him, couldn't I? He hasn't told anyone I'm Divergent, but if he is too, the fight Belle and I face could become ours too.

Four looks at me, a little stunned. For a moment, he doesn't do or say anything. Then he looks at me in the eyes and nods.

"Yes. I'm Divergent, just like you. But, seriously Tris, it's not just something you go telling people, alright? I'm only telling you because I trust you and you are one too. You're the only other person to know I'm Divergent besides my instructor, Armar. He died because they found out he was Divergent. The authorities see us as a threat."

I nod. "I won't - tell anyone, I mean."

He nods. "Good."

"Tori, the tattoo artist, did my Aptitude Test. She figured out that I was Divergent."

Four nods."A lot of people who administer the Aptitude Tests are Divergents looking out for other Divergents."

"Why don't you administer the Aptitude Tests then?" I ask.

Four shrugs. "I just don't really want some Abnegation to notice me and tell someone who I really am. I've worked hard to keep who I am a secret."

"Because of your father, right?" I ask, as I touch his cheek lightly.

Four leans into my hand and nods a little.

"Is that why you won't take that government job Max keeps offering you? Because you might see him?"

Four makes a small grimace but his blue eyes look at me and a slight smile plays at the corners of his lips. "You've been paying attention, haven't you?" he asks jokingly.

I smile and nod a little, "Yeah, I have."

Four smile widens and he places his hand lightly on mine, which is resting on his cheek. His hand guides mine around his neck. I slowly move my other hand around his neck too, and then lock my hands in place.

Four slides his hands and places them on either side of my waist. He slowly meets hips lips to mine. At first, the kiss is just a kiss, but then his lips part mine. I slide my hands back into his hair and can feel him smile against my lips.

**Belle's POV**:

I lay on Zeke's couch, watching Uriah work on making us sandwiches. I love the way his muscles move with even the slightest movement.

"You know, the real trick is to get the right amount of ham, really. If you can't do that, you're screwed," Uriah says as he delicately lays the ham onto each of our sandwhiches.

I laugh. "Oh dear, I never knew it was all in the ham," I say as I roll onto my side so I can face him.

He looks up from the sandwiches to offer me a quick smile. Uriah finishes the sandwiches and brings them over and sits down on the open floor infront of the couch. He pats the ground next to him and says, "Come on, we can have a picnic."

I lay on my stomach and reach for a sandwich. Uriah takes the other and lays down next to me.

In-between between bites, Uriah continues telling me about his sandwiches compared to others.

When we finish, I offer to help Uriah wash our plates.

I look over at the time. It's 7 now, so I have to leave in an hour to go meet Tris and Tori to sneak into a box of SerumX boxes.

I hear the door swing open and look over to see Zeke walking in. He smiles over at me and says, "Been shackin' up in here?"

Uriah smacks his brother playfully and says, "Oh shut up."

Zeke grins darkly at his little brother and says, "Careful there little brother, or else the Divergents might come at get you in your sleep."

I tense up. _Do people really fear Divergents that much?_

Uriah gives his brother a menacing glare. Zeke puts his hands up in mock surrender, winks at me and walks down the hall to his room.

When Zeke leaves, I walk up to Uriah and take his hand. I look up at him and ask, "Do you hate Divergents or something?" casually.

Uriah looks down at his feet. "What all have you heard about Divergents?" he asks softly.

I shrug. "Not too much," I say slowly, hoping the lie can't be heard.

"Would you hate someone if you found out that they were Divergent?" he asks. He almost looks sad.

"I wouldn't hate them. Can't really hate someone for being just like you," I blurt out.

_Oh my god. Did I just say that? How could I let that slip out?_

Uriah's eyes snap up to look at me. "You're Divergent?"


	34. Chapter 34

"You're Divergent?" Uriah asks, shock being the only expression visible on his face.

_What do I say_? I think to myself. _God_, I'm turning into Tris now by blurting things out.

"Uh, what?" I say quickly. _Seriously? That's the best I can come up with?_ Thank god I'm not in Candor. I'd get kicked out as soon as I stepped foot in their compound.

"You just said that you were Divergent," Uriah says, still pushing the topic.

"I didn't say that I was Divergent, per say," I begin, running excuses through my mind. I need a solid few seconds to think of a good lie, and considering this is Uriah, someone I don't want to lie to, it makes everything even harder.

"Belle," Uriah says as he takes a few steps towards me. "I don't care if you're Divergent. I promise, I'm not like the other people who hate Divergents."

I back up until I hit the sink. A plate slips off the counter and shatters to the ground.

A moment later, Zeke runs out of his room and asks, "What's all the fuss about?" When he see's the shattered plate, he makes an impatient sound and huffs out, "Seriously, if you want to throw some plates, go find Becky in the Pit. She's got a nice little kiosk where you can win stuffed animals if you hit bullseye, but really, why'd you have to throw my plate?"

Once Zeke finally senses the tension in the room, he asks softly, "Are you guys fighting or something? Because I can go..-" Zeke gets cut off by Uriah who says, "Can you give us a few minutes alone to talk?"

Zeke, without making a sound, walks back down the hall to his room and closes the door.

I look back at Uriah. He doesn't try moving towards me but instead puts up his hands and says, "Belle, please just tell me. I swear it won't change anything."

"You don't know that," I say. Ever since I heard the word Divergent, nothing good has happened. Now, I might even loose Uriah.

**Uriah's POV:**

"Belle, please, you can tell me anything," I say. She trusted me enough to tell me about Jackson, why can't she tell me about this?

She continues staring at the ground and won't meet me in the eye. You don't have to be a Candor to figure out that she doesn't want to tell me and is hoping to avoid the subject.

I move towards her slowly with my arms out, hoping she'll let me hold her at least. "Belle," I say her name as soft as I can, trying to comfort her.

I feel wetness on my arms and look down to see a tear on my arm. I look down over at Belle and hear her sniff.

"Belle," I croon, "you can tell me anything. Please tell me."

"I trust you," she croaks out softly. I push back a lock of her hair behind her ear and wait for her to continue.

She takes a deep, rattled breathe and says, "It's just that.. saying it out loud... Seems so dangerous."

So she is Divergent! I tighten my grip around her and kiss the top of her head.

"You're not alone, Belle."

**Sorry its been a little while and sorry to stop right there, but I've been really sick with the flu. Going to post a lot more when I get better. Hope you liked that little in-between update! :))**

**XOXO**


	35. Chapter 35

**I hope you guys like it :))**

**Uriah's POV:**

"You're not alone, Belle," I say softly. She looks up at me, her eyes still clouded with tears. I wipe away a few tears with my thumb and she smiles lightly at me.

I guide her to the couch, take a seat first, and pull Belle onto my lap before she can take a seat on the couch. She usually laughs when I do this, but this time she just smiles up at me.

I lock my arms around her and she looks up at me a little confused. "You said I'm not alone," she says, her statement sounds a little like a question at the end.

When I don't respond, she places her hands on my chest and turns to fully face me. She locks her legs around my waist and I tighten my arms around her, pulling her towards me.

This is how we fit together, since that first night we had together here at Zeke's.

"I said that because it's true. You're not alone," I say lightly as I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

She looks up at me and places her hand on my cheek gently. "Are you... Are you .. one too?" She asks very softly, almost whisper like.

I can feel a slight, embarrassed smile play on my face as I shake my head. "I don't think so. Four says that there are different levels of Divergence. After my first sim, Four asked if I knew I was in a sim, and I told him that I could faintly tell that something was wrong but it didn't occur to me that I was in a sim. For my Aptitude Test, I had Dauntless and Amity aptitudes. Funny huh? Completely different ends of the spectrum.."

Belle smiles and says, "I think it's because you're so lively and happy all the time, but you still love a little daredevil fun in your life."

I smile and kiss her cheek. "It's Zeke who's really Divergent. He had three different faction aptitudes."

Belle makes a face and looks slightly embarrassed. "I had three different faction aptitudes.." she says.

I can feel my eyebrows fly up as I look at her. "You must really be Divergent then.."

She shrugs a little. "When I'm in sims.. I can make things happen," she says as she meets my eyes.

"Like what," I ask, truly intrigued.

Her cheeks get a little red and I can feel my heart beat a little faster. Whatever the subject is, Belle can still find a way to make my heart race, whether she knows it or not.

"It takes a little reasoning, but I always end up remembering that I'm in a sim. And sometimes.. I can make objects appear or cause things to happen."

I nod a little. "Once," I say, "I caused a gun to appear, but there weren't any bullets so I ended up beating this guy with the empty gun."

Belle makes a face and smiles, "What'd the sim guy ever do to you?"

I can feel my cheeks get red as I say, "He.. kissed you."

Belle looks at me and her eye brows scrunch up, causing a cute, little crease to appear in her forehead. "What does that fear mean?" she asks.

I shrug a little, "Four thinks that I'm afraid of loosing you. I guess he's right because I ended up beating the living daylights out of that guy."

Belle smiles at me a little and kisses my cheek. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that," she says.

I smile and brush my lips against hers. "Promise?" I ask.

"Promise," she says as she brings her lips to mine.

**Belle's POV:**

It's about ten minutes after Uriah and I start making out until Zeke walks out of his room and clears his throat, humor obviously accented at the end.

"I thought it was a little quiet in here," he says. I turn around, still in Uriah's lap, and see Zeke standing across from us, hands crossed and a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Oh, cat's out of the bag by the way," Uriah says to Zeke.

Zeke's face turns into shock. "You told her?" he asks, clearly angry.

Before Uriah can answer, I say, "It's okay, Zeke. I'm one too."

Zeke's face changes and his eyebrows fly straight up. "You are?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah."

Zeke narrows his eyes, still speculative. "Prove it."

Uriah makes a protesting sound but I ignore him.

"In my Aptitude Test, I didn't choose any item of choice. I ended up staring down the dog until it calmed down, so I have an aptitude for Erudite. Then I saved the little girls life, and since I didn't pick the knife, I did a brave and selfless act, so Dauntless and Abnegation ruled in."

Zeke lets out a breathe and comes over and pulls me into a bear hug. "Thank god," he says sounding relieved. I actually liked you and didn't want you to be a liar."

I ruffle Zeke's hair and say, "You're pretty cool too."

Zeke smiles and kisses the top of my head, like Jacob used to - brotherly, but full of love.

We all take a seat on the couches. Zeke sits across from Uriah and I, with his elbows on his knees.

"Do you know anyone else who's Divergent too?" he asks.

I nod. I trust Uriah and Zeke wholeheartedly. "Tris is one too. We had the same Aptitudes. Also, I know Tori, the tattoo artist down in the pit is. She's the one who did my Aptitude Test."

Uriah and Zeke grin. "She did ours too. She's on our side," Zeke says.

They both exchange a quick glance and Uriah turns to me. "You can trust Four too. He's also one of us. He took the job of training initiates mainly so Eric wouldn't kill any Divergent initiates."

I nod. "There's something else I have to ask you guys."

Uriah and Zeke nod, as if telling me to go on.

"Have you noticed the amount of Erudite here lately?" I ask.

Uriah and Zeke exchange a nod and look at me. I look at Uriah. "Four works in the control room when he's not training initiates. He found files sent over by Erudite, but they're all encrypted. He said it may take time to figure them all out, but he decoded a few which look like war plans with lists of supplies and tactics."

I nod. "It shouldn't surprise me that Erudite wants to overthrow our government. They've been posting lots of propaganda in the news against Abnegation. Even against my father." I say.

Uriah puts his hand on my shoulder for comfort.

Zeke makes a confused face and finally puts it together. "You're a Hightower?"

I smile a little. "The youngest of seven older brothers."

"Wow," he says, shock still registered on his face. "You've got guts coming to Dauntless by yourself," Zeke says approvingly.

"Not by myself exactly," I say. "I came with Tris. She's a Prior."

Zeke nods.

"Oh which reminds me!" I say. "Tonight, Tori, Tris, and I were all going to break into some of the boxes Erudite has been bringing in. Tori thinks it may be a serum for the Dauntless to control us, so Erudite can get what they want."

Uriah looks at Zeke who says, "We'll go too. This involves us. We're all Divergent and it's our job to make sure Erudite doesn't get what they want."


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey guys! Hope you like this chapter :)**

* * *

I can feel the wind in my hair, whipping locks of it every which way. Uriah's head is on my shoulder and his arms are around me. Every now and then, he tries to tuck a few strands back but chuckles when they come free again.

Zeke stands near us, looking out onto the streets. After finding out that Zeke is Divergent, and after he found out that I am too, I feel like Zeke holds himself a little less on-guard-like and more relaxed, like he trusts me more. I'm glad.

Although Zeke seems relaxed, I can feel that my palms are becoming clamy and my heart rate is up, thanks to Uriah and to the fact that I brought friends along even though Tori specifically told me not to.

I know that Tori can get pretty pissed and she's great at fighting. I'm not sure who would win in a fight between us, considering with Uriah's training that I've become quite skilled, but Tori probably has way more experience.

A minute or two later, we all hear the door to the roof open up with a light squeal. I turn and see Tris and suprisingly, Four.

Zeke grins and says, "Well, look what we have here."

Uriah moves to my side, but still keeps an arm around me.

Four's cheeks flare up as I notice that he and Tris are standing very close together. Zeke obviously puts it together and says, "You finally grew a pair! I knew you had a thing for the Stiff!"

Tris's cheeks flare up too and she looks down at her feet. Four makes a face at Zeke like a, _I'm going to slap you if you don't shut up_, face. Zeke puts his hands up and surrenders.

Uriah takes his turn to tease Four by slapping him on the back and saying, "Double date sometime?"

Zeke laughs and says, "Make that a triple."

Four glares at Uriah, but it's easy that he's trying to suppress a smile. I can tell that he loves them both like brothers.

At that same moment, the roof door squeals open and out steps Tori onto the roof.

At first, she doesn't see all of us, but when she does, it's clear on her face.

"What are you all doing here?" she asks until her eyes land on Tris. Then on me.

Her face changes completely. She goes from being on guard to pure anger.

She power walks forward, still graceful, and almost pushes me to the ground. Before she can get her hands on me, two pairs of arms lock around her and pull her away. I look up and see the Uriah is inbetween us while Four and Zeke are holding Tori back.

She's taking deep, angry breaths and spits out at me, "You idiot! Your going to get us all killed! Was it not clear the first when I told you not to tell anyone!? You are the stupidest Stiff I've ever met!" She hollers another few insults my way until Uriah finally stands up for me.

"Shut up," he spits out towards Tori. "You don't even know what's going on, so could you stop raging and listen for a second! Seriously, Tori!"

At first Tori just glares at Uriah, then she snaps at Four and Zeke, "Get your hands off me."

Slowly, Zeke and Four uncoil their hold on Tori. I quickly catch her up on all that happened; how Uriah and Zeke are Divergent and also how they want to be apart of our little search.

Next, Tris tells her side of the story, leaving out the part about her and Four being together, but still talking about how Four found out she was Divergent and how he is too.

Tori's calmed down now, but she still looks pissed. Her glare moves from Tris to me. "Fine," she finally huffs out. She then turns to all of us and says, "I swear, if any of you screw this up, I will hurt you. Very badly." She says, nodding her head as if backing her self up.

We all nod. She turns around towards the door and says quietly, "Keep up."

* * *

We're all pressed up against a wall. On the other side are some Erudite and Dauntless with boxes of SerumX. Tori turns to each one of us. Her eyes finally rest on Zeke and Four.

"You two," she says nodding in their direction. "I'm going to walk past first. Odds are, there will most likely be someone there that I've tattooed and can talk to. When I have a conversation going, you both will walk past. Either one of you, try to spark up some conversation. Try to distract as much as possible."

Tori turns to Uriah, Tris and I. "You three are going to try to snatch out a box or even a vile of that serum. As much as you can get out without being noticed. Got it?" she asks.

We all nod.

Tori gives us all one last look. "Whatever that serum is, no matter what, I guarantee that it's no good for us as long as it's designed by Jeanine."

With that, Tori walks off nonchalantly into the hallway. We all wait silently and crane our heads and necks to hear what she's saying.

"Hey, Ronnie!" I hear Tori say.

The person, Ronnie, sets down something heavy, which makes a sound. "Hey, Tori! You know, I was just coming to see you after this! I needed to schedule an appointment for my arm-sleeve."

Many others soon join the conversation and a chorus of voices are heard. After 5 minutes, Four and Zeke head off silently down the hallway. Before they walk past the corner, Four pretends to tell a funny story and Zeke sets off laughing.

Soon the three have almost every one out there in some form of a conversation.

Uriah looks to me and says, "Wait here. Let me go see what boxes we can reach."

I nod and watch Uriah set off. He peers around the corner and surveys quickly. Just as he's about to spin around and come back, Uriah's foot slips on a wet spot on the floor causing him to fall over onto the ground before I can reach him.

He falls midway between the corner of the hallway, exposing himself to the enemies on the other side.

I gasp inwardly, unable to move.

I can hear the people on the other side cease their conversations to look over at Uriah and hope they go along with whatever excuse he makes up.

Zeke if the first to talk and say, "Hey there little brother. How's the floor?"

I let out a breath I didn't know that I was holding. _Thank God Zeke is so smooth._

Next I hear Four say, "You just gonna lay there or what?"

Uriah huffs out and pulls himself off the floor. "Careful," he mumbles out, "it's slippery over there."

Tori pretends that Uriah meant it as a joke and laughs, causing the others around to laugh too.

Once the conversation on the other side picks back up, I tip-toe over to the corner of the wall to look for viles of SerumX. I spot a box not too far away and army crawl towards it as close as I can without being spotted.

I can barely reach the box but crawl one more inch and yank the box towards me. It makes a small shuffling noise, which Zeke notices and instantly clears his throat to muffle the noise.

I quickly make it back to Tris, box in hand.

She grins when she sees me, clearly excited that we got exactly what we needed.

"Take this and get out of here," I say to Tris. "Take it back to Four's or something."

She makes a face at me and says, "What makes you so sure that I know where Four's apartment is?"

I smile and say, "Oh please, like I haven't seen the way you both look at each other."

She rolls her eyes as she wraps her sweatshirt around the box and jogs down the hallway to the apartments above the Pit.

After I see Tris make it around the corner, I spin around and see Eric standing directly in front of me.

* * *

**Also just wanted to let anyone out there who's a Mortal Instruments fan that I started 2 new fanfics for that! Don't worry, I'll still be updating this one too !**

**Go check it out !**


	37. Chapter 37

When I turned around, I saw Eric, standing directly behind me with his eyebrows raised. I gasp in shock and take a step backwards. _What all had Eric seen?_

"You okay there?" Eric asks.

I regain my composure and nod slowly, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought I saw something and well yeah."

Eric nods slowly and it's easy to tell that he doesn't believe me. "Anyways," Eric says, drawling out the word, "I just wanted to tell you good job."

I can feel my eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. "Good job?"

"You and your Stiff friend have been doing extremely good in the sims. Word's even gotten up to Max about how good you two are, especially that other one, Tris. He may even end up sitting in for one of Tris's sims. Maybe you too. But Tris for sure," Eric says with a slight smile.

I can feel myself shake. Isn't that what Tori said is what happened to her brother? _He got really good, so good that the Dauntless leaders came to watch. The next day, he was dead._

I fake out a smile. Before I have to respond, I hear voices coming around the corner and peer around Eric to see Uriah.

_Thank god_. Uriah see's Eric and his demeanor changes. He gives Eric a death stare as he comes over and pulls me into him. "Come on," he says smiling down at me infront of Eric, who doesn't look overly thrilled to see Uriah, "we're going to Zeke's.

As if noticing Eric for the first time, Uriah looks up and smiles. "Oh hey there, Eric."

He grins as Eric makes a face. Uriah pulls me along until we're out of earshot. When we round the corner, I see Four and Zeke waiting for us.

"Tris took the SerumX to Four's apartment. Where's Tori?"

Four answers, "She went with some of the Dauntless to help unload the trucks and see if she could get her hands on anymore of that serum or maybe some others.

I nod. "So I guess we go to you're place now."

* * *

Four's apartments is just like Zeke's, but a little more spacious. When we enter, I see Tris sitting on Four's bed with the box in her lap. She looks up when we enter, relief comes across her face.

I go and give her a hug. "You made it," she says.

"Of course we made it," Zeke says as he opens Four's fridge. "Hey how come you have Dauntless Cake and not me?"

Four grins and says, "Because Sherly doesn't like you after you told her the beans were too bland."

Zeke shrugs and bites into an apple.

"Where's Tori?" Tris asks. Zeke begins to explain to her what happened after she left as I walk over to Four, who's making us all sandwiches.

I sit on a stool near the kitchen counter and lean in on my elbows. Quietly I ask, "Hey Four.. Can I ask you something?"

Four looks up and nods. "Sure."

I take a deep breath. "Before I left, Eric came up and told me that the Dauntless leaders heard about how good Tris and I are doing. _Especially Tris,_" I say, making sure to put emphasis on Tris.

Four's eyebrows raise in suprise. He leans in a little closer, tensed. "Did he say anything else?"

I nod. "Eric said that the Dauntless leaders, maybe just Max, might sit in for Tris's sims to see for themselves. He said that might happen to me too."

Four nods. "I'll try to take care of it."

I nod and smile a thanks to him. Four hands me a sandwich, but before I can grab it, Uriah snatches it out of my hand and grins. "Just a fair warning, Belle. No sandwich will ever compare to my sandwiches, and I'd hate for you to be disappointed by Four's sandwich."

Four makes a face at Uriah and defensively says, "My sandwiches are just fine for you're information!"

Uriah takes a bite of the sandwich he stole from my hand and makes a face. He throws it back on the plate and says, "Belle, I forbid you to eat such a disgrace."

Tris comes over and takes a bite. "They taste fine!" she says, taking Four's side. Four smiles down at her approvingly.

"Too much mayo," Uriah mutters as he takes out some new condiments from the fridge.

After eating, we all sit on Four's living room floor with the box of the serum in the middle.

We've all taken turns holding one of the serum viles and giving our best thoughts on what it could be for. "It looks a little like the aptitude test serum," I say. "The color at least. They're both a weird orange."

Four nods. "Colored serum's are usually for simulations. That's why the sim serum for training is a light purple."

"It has a strange bubble thing floating around with a little chip in the middle. If only we were at Erudite. I bet one of those Nose's could tell us what we're looking at."

My head snaps up. "What did you say?"

Zeke's eyes go wide. "I was just talking about Erudite."

I look at Tris and see that she's still confused. "Louis!" I exclaim.

Her eyes go wide as she understands, while Zeke, Four and Uriah still look confused.

I turn to them excitedly. "My brother, well one of them, transferred to Erudite a couple years ago! If I could go visit him, he could easily run some tests and see what this serum is!"

Uriah nods and smiles. "That's genius!"

Zeke makes a face. "Not too fast there, little brother. Transfers aren't allowed to leave the compound."

Four wavers and says, "Not exactly. A transfer with permission could leave the premisis if they were accompanied by maybe an instructor or well known and high ranked Dauntless."

"But doesn't Eric hate you? There's no way he'd agree to letting you go with Belle to Erudite!" Uriah says.

"What about Tori?" I ask. "She was from Erudite and she's well known."

Four nods. "It's really rare, but it's possible."

Uriah makes a face that looks somewhere between an, _Oh Come'on face_, and a, _Seriously_?, face. "Eric's got a thing for Belle. He'll let her go."

As soon as Uriah is finished, we all hear a soft knock on the door. Four's eyes go wide and he whispers, "That may just be Tori, but just incase, Tris, you go take the box of this serum stuff and hide it in my bed room. Zeke turn on the TV and Belle and Uriah... just act natural."

We all do as we're told and Four goes to open the door. In steps Tori, making us all huff out a sigh.

When she comes in, I can see that she has a small box in her hand. "This is all that I could get my hands on without being noticed."

Four closes the door and says, "Would you be up to take Belle to Erudite so her brother can check out the serum?"

Tori looks over at me. She contemplates and says, "Fine, but how are we going to talk Eric into letting her go."

Uriah sarcastically smiles and says, "He's got a sweet spot for her."

Tori looks at Uriah quizzically and says, "Alright. I guess we go to Erudite tomorrow, then."


	38. Chapter 38

**Really long chapter, but I wanted to have more character dialogue! Tell me what you think! :))**

* * *

I sit at our lunch table with my hands shaking. Uriah puts a hand on my shoulder and says, "It's gonna be okay. Eric's most likely going to let you go, Belle."

I nod, but continue shaking my legs this time, still jittery. Zeke makes a worried face at me. "You should really eat something. You're going on a mission," he jokes, smiling.

I fake a smile and look at Four. "Where's Tori?" I ask worriedly. She's late!

Four, always calm, says easily, "She'll be here, Belle. Calm down."

Uriah takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. He smiles at me reassuringly and says, "Just pretend like I'm with you."

I smile at him, lean into his side and lay my head on his shoulder.

Zeke looks over at Four and says, "How come you and Tris-y-poo aren't like that, huh?"

Four rolls his eyes and says,"Because we aren't pansycakes."

Tris laughs and Uriah play punches Four who easily blocks him.

Just when things seem to be making me feel better, I see Tori walk in. She scans the room until her eyes land on me. As soon as she sees me, she walks over.

"Ready?" Tori asks.

I nod and pull on my black shoulder bag which contains a few viles of the SerumX. I decided to dress extra Dauntless today. Four said that initiates usually don't go to a different faction. If Eric does let me go, it'll only be because I'm showing off Dauntless colors and attitude.

I give everyone a slight nod and goodbye, give Uriah a quick kiss and walk with Tori towards the table where Eric, Max and a few other Dauntless leaders sit.

Before we approach Eric's table, Tori pulls me aside. "You don't have to do this, you know that right?"

I take a deep breath and see that Eric and Max are watching me. "I know. I want to."

She nods and says softly, "I under estimated you, Stiff."

I smile at her and say, "Don't get all gushy on me now, Tori."

She grins and says, "Alright. Let's get this show on the road."

When we reach Eric's table, all the Dauntless look at me as if they were Erudite.

It's Max who speaks first. He turns to Eric and asks, "Is this the initiate you were telling me about?"

Eric smiles slightly in my direction and nods. "Yeah, she's the one."

Another Dauntless leader who looks maybe 19 and was one of the few that were analyzing me says, "We've heard a lot about you."

At first, when I don't answer, Tori elbows me, as if indicating that I should speak. I've never really spoken to a Dauntless leader. Mostly just the Candor's leader, Jack Kang, and I met the Amity leader a few times too when I was younger because of my father. Never a Dauntless though.

I figure that they want a tough, soldier like response, so I respond by saying, "Good things I hope, Sir."

The leader smirks at me and turns to Eric. "She's the stiff, isn't she?"

Max smiles at me and says, "Once a Stiff, always a Stiff."

Eric looks at them a little wide eyed, as if they were completely underestimating me. "You haven't seen her fight. If you saw her, you'd probably never believe she was a Stiff. She's like Four when she fights. It's crazy."

At that, everyone at the table turns to me. The leader whom I called Sir looks at me and says, "You can call me Daniel."

I nod. Daniel looks at me with narrowed eyes. "You're the Hightower Stiff, _aren't_ you? What makes a Stiff with a dad like that transfer to Dauntless?"

I figure they're looking for a loose, Dauntless response, so I say, "I was tired of people thinking that I was just a Stiff."

At that, they all smile and Max says, "You and you're Stiff friend have been doing exceptionally well in Sim Training. Especially you're friend. Don't tell anyone yet, but she may be ranked first for Stage 2."

I try not to shake when I respond. I know that out of fear my voice may just shake. Instead of taking that risk, I simply nod.

When the conversation dies down, Eric turns to Tori and I. "So, what exactly did you two need?"

Tori turns to me, but when I don't answer, she answers for me. "Belle wanted to go visit her brother over at Erudite. I was wondering if I could escort her."

The leaders all look at one and other. "Give us a minute or two, will you?" Daniel asks.

We nod and Tori guides me to a corner of the cafeteria. I look over at our table, who look back at us anxiously.

I look back at the leader's table and see that Eric looks like he's throwing a fit. He even stands up at one point and looks menacingly at Daniel. He then points to himself and sit's back down.

When Eric's fit is over, Max looks over at Tori and I and motions us to rejoin them.

We both take a seat and wait.

Max looks at me and says, "Usually, initiates aren't allowed to go to a different faction, let alone visit family. But, considering who you are, I guess we can be a little more lenient."

I grin. _Thank God_!

"But," Daniel begins, "It has to be a Dauntless leader who takes you and escorts you to Erudite."

I can feel my heart sink.

Tori interjects this time. "I transferred from Erudite. I know my way around and would be helpful-"

She gets interrupted by Eric who says, "I transferred from Erudite. And I'm younger, meaning that I probably know my way around a little better, since I was there after you transferred." He says it fact-like, as if that justified his entire reason to go.

I turn and look at Tori who gives me a worried look.

"But," she tries to say, but Daniel interjects. "Shouldn't I go, Max? I'm actually a leader. Eric's like your understudy."

At this, Eric get's red in the face. "Sorry, bud, but it's true." Daniel says, shrugging.

"I am perfectly capable of taking an initiate off the compound and bringing them back," Eric spits out in anger.

Max rolls his eyes and says, "Both of you, just shut up, will ya? My God, we'd never get anything done around here if it were just you two in charge." He turns to Tori and says, "Sorry, Tori, but I'm going to have to make a Dauntless leader go with Belle."

He then turns to Eric and says, "You can go, but only because you transferred from there."

Daniel makes a face and looks at me. "Sorry you got stuck with him. Find me sometime if you wanna have some _real_ Dauntless fun." He winks and leaves the table.

Eric glares at him, but then turns to me. His demeanor changes and he relaxes a bit. "Ready, then?"

I huff out a breath. "Uh, yeah. Let me just say bye to my friends."

I walk back to my table and say, "Eric's escorting me, not Tori. The leaders said that I had to go with a leader so." I shrug it off.

Uriah makes a face. "I bet that's what his little hissy fit was about." He comes around to where I'm standing and puts his arms around my waist and picks me up against him. He softly places his lips on mine and full force kisses me infront of everyone in the cafeteria. I can hear some people making hooting noises and a few whistles.

Before he let's go, Uriah says, "That should probably keep him away for a little before he tries anything on you."

I roll my eyes, but when I look over, I see that Eric looks pissed.

I give Uriah one last hug and walk off towards Eric.

* * *

I stand next to Eric as we wait for the train. He checks his watch and says, "Should be here any minute."

I simply nod and look off into the horizon.

In the distance, I can see an oncoming train. "Ah, there it is," Eric says with satisfaction.

At first, we run in stride next to it. Eric gracefully leaps on first and offers me his hand. I guess I might as well play nice with Eric. I let him help me in, like the first day I met him.

His arm is stronger than I remember and I almost slam into his chest.

I catch myself, though, as my training kicks in.

"Thanks," I say.

Eric nods and smiles. "Not a problem."

I walk to a window and watch the surroundings disappear.

"Sorry about Daniel", Eric says. "He's an ass; but I guess he likes you since he winked at you"

"How old is he?" I ask.

"19," Eric says as his eyes look out the other window.

"Oh," I say.

Eric looks at me and says, "What, too old for you?"

I shrug.

Eric huffs out and turns back to the window.

I look at him. Eric's hair is short like Fours, but blonde. His arm muscles show through his leather jacket. Standing next to Eric, I estimate his height to be maybe 6' 2'', around Four's height. He has a jawline similar to Four's. But unlike Four, Eric has a few eyebrow piercings on his left side.

"How old are you?" I ask.

"18," Eric says as he continues looking out the window. "Not as old as Daniel."

"Daniel's still young though," I say.

Eric shrugs and looks down at me. "I'm younger."

"But that's young compared to most Faction's leaders."

Eric nods. "Here at Dauntless, anyone can be a leader if you have the skills for it."

I nod.

"So," Eric says, obviously trying to change the subject. "You and Uriah?"

"What about us," I ask turning towards him.

"How'd you two meet? I mean, he's a Dauntless born, right?"

I nod. "I knew Uriah before transferring."

Eric nods. I can see his jaw is clenched.

A few buildings come into view and Eric begins walking towards the door. "We're here."

I walk and stand beside him. "Ready?" he asks.

I nod and watch Eric jump out first and land on his feet. I take a running jump and land near him, proudly on my feet.

"Not too bad," Eric says smiling. "Come on," Eric says motioning me towards a tall building.

I look over and see Millennium Park. All around us are people in blue who stare at us with wide eyes.

When Eric notices that I'm not following, he turns to see my gaze and smiles.

"Actually, maybe we should go that way. It's always fun to watch the impact you can have on someone when you're Dauntless."

When I look confused, Eric motions me to follow him and I fall into step besides him. We walk through the Erudite crowds, who all quickly give us a wide berth of space and leave us alone.

I laugh and Eric looks down at me and smiles.

He places his hand on my back and guides me into a building. "Welcome to Erudite."


End file.
